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Dharma Talk, July 15, 2013: Lankavatara Sutra
Good evening, today is the 15th of July 2013, our regular Monday night class. We are going to talk a little bit about a portion of the Lankavatara Sutra that has to deal with consciousness and dealing with what is actually really "thinking" or who is thinking.
A little bit of background of the Lankavatara Sutra. This sutra was brought over from India in about 300 C.E. We are not quite able to trace it back completely to India but historically, it's attributed to Bodhidharma, the first patriarch of the Chinese Buddhist School who brought it over with him. It's also attributed to a different clergy person who brought it over. It's important in terms of sutra because of the fact that it veers away from the Theravadin School and emphasizes on attaining Nirvana. It looks directly into mind and consciousness and as a result of this, this particular sutra has an interest to the Yogacara (mind only - consciousness only) school and also the Chan school (the Zen school) in terms of being something that's worthy to explore.
Consciousness and Mind
It's important to understand and I have been speaking this year a lot about the history of Chan and tracing it back in China from the Madhyamika School with strong emphasis in general on the Mahayana School and coming out of the Yogacara School, the T'ien-t'ai School (Lotus school), and Hua-yen School or Avatamsaka School. All these schools look at a different way of approaching the practice where the emphasis is not on simply escaping but it is on the realization of mind and on "what is mind?". Often we are confused because when we look at the idea of the realization of mind, we are really talking about consciousness. We want to figure out what consciousness is and it's the frustration we have that we cannot calm our consciousness down.
When we sit to meditate, so many thoughts are arising that we cannot stop them. When we are around people, we are constantly having opinions about this and that and our mind is clicking saying "do this, do that, don't let them do this to you, don't let them say that to you". All these things are there and because of our ignorance in mistaking consciousness for mind, it's very difficult especially for someone who is a beginner, and it's difficult even for the adept practitioner to make the transition from simply seeing consciousness to understanding the mind. It is essentially, what we could say would be, each practitioner's holy grail. Unfortunately when we practice, we cling so much to the idea of consciousness that we are unable to make the jump to see what mind is, because we are trying to define mind via consciousness and via the manner in which consciousness functions. And as a result of that, it doesn't fit. It would be like trying to put the volume of water in a swimming pool or an ocean into a small container. It's not possible to do. There is no way that the container can hold it or even begin to appreciate the enormity of that volume of water and that's why they often call the mind the ocean because it's so vast.
Question: Were you talking about mind in terms of a universal mind?
Answer: Well, when we talk about mind, we talk about what is mind. You can put a label on it and call it universal mind, but it's certainly not consciousness. It's beyond consciousness. It is essentially a fabric or the matrix of everything that appears, and yet it's beyond phenomenal appearances. What we see in our mind are appearances. Because of ignorance and causes and conditions, we continue to perpetuate that. As a result of that, we don't really see what mind is, but we take those appearances to be mind. So the practice at this point where the Lankavatara sutra comes in is a switch from looking at things and trying to make things to purify the consciousness for a better existence in somewhere else in Nirvana to the actual realization of mind. The difficult part about this is that in order to make that jump, it is something that is beyond conceptualization. But because we are so attached to conceptualization, it is difficult for us to think.
Let's say, like a Quantum physicist who can think beyond the appearances and beyond what appears to be the rules of construction or the fabric of reality. This is way outside the box. It is all of the box and much more. It's woven into every single atom, every single particle that appears in mind, but the important part about it is that everything is perfectly in its place in accordance with causes and conditions. It's not that a comet streaks across the sky just without any kind of relation to anything else in the Universe. Everything is set into motion by certain things. And when you look at things in this way, it's different.
A divine plan?
Question: So, to reflect back to you, it's almost like you are saying it's a divine plan seen as reality?
Answer: Not divine plan. A divine plan would be more religious in terms of an entity that puts things into motion. Whether we have a monotheistic or a pantheistic type of a model where it's like moving chess pieces around, as in Greek mythology. It's not quite that way. It's that everything is related. You could say, in the same way the clouds in the sky move in accordance with the nature of the earth and the weather patterns and how they naturally move from high pressure to low pressure systems. Naturally, no one has to think about that happening because it happens naturally. Likewise in our life, if somebody is very nurturing and tender to you, you feel a loving kindness towards that person. If the person is mean to you, you feel the opposite.
So there are all of these things that are naturally happening in accordance to causes and conditions. But there is no divine plan. We could say that all of this is pure but not in the sense of pure with opposites of pure and impure. It just simply is happening naturally and we use the term Paticcasamuppada (causes and conditions) to see that these things appear in mind.
So why does a thought appear in mind? It's not an arbitrary thought that appears in mind. The thoughts arise in mind in accordance with causes and conditions. Your question arises in mind in accordance with causes and conditions. The fact that you are sitting there right now is because of causes and conditions. It wasn't that you were just walking outside and said "oh, I think I'll just walk in this door!". There was some reason why everyone in this room was brought into this room at this moment. When we begin to see the world that way, it begins to make sense. Rather than say "I don't know why he is such an angry person?" or "I don't know why this happens or that happens!",
When you see the things through causes and conditions, it makes the world decipherable. It makes the world more predictable. It makes it more malleable for positive things to come into play because we understand that the bad things in the world are due to causes and conditions. So we can generate a mind that can present positive things into this world, so that the world changes little by little. If this is not the case, then there would be no reason for me to be sitting here just to tell you that "you know, nothing exists, nothing is real, nothing matters". But it does matter. It matters, but not necessarily in the sense of a divine plan, as much as it is just the nature of things, and how things are set into motion. When we see things in this way, it embraces both Heaven and Hell and shows the consequence of why those can possibly exist.
Question: I am just fascinated by this talk. Could it be that reality then becomes a reflection or that the causation is responsive to where your consciousness is at then?
Answer: The consciousness is simply a reflection in mind itself. It's an illusion. It's impermanent. It's constantly changing. It changes in accordance with all of the causes that are brought into motion producing a particular condition at this moment. All of that is a reflection. There is no place that we can say "Ah, this book is reality". Because if we look back far enough, we'll find that there was some tree somewhere down the line, or it could have been recycled paper but later on it's going to be recycled paper. And it maybe a recycled book that goes to somebody who reads it. Now, I have so many books that have been recycled from people who probably have died and left their books somewhere and then they were given to me. It's all causes and conditions that we see. But there is no inherent reality in it because of the fact that it lacks permanency. The only thing that there is that is permanent would be mind itself. But in that mind itself, it also brings into play impermanence of all phenomenal occurrences. So all of that is built into it. And if we tried to say, this is real and this is not real, then that's where we get boxed into corners because the conscious mind is not capable of dealing with that.
However, mind itself, once settled, once quieted and once no longer under the delusion that consciousness is mind itself, will resolve itself. It will bring everything into a perfectly clear picture. But you'll not know that because you'll not be there. The most that'll be left there will be a shadow of you or an appearance of you but you'll be certain that that's not you. But nevertheless mind is perfectly functioning at that point because it is no longer subject to the cravings of greed, hatred, and ignorance. All of those things are now seen as by-products of ignorance that's been there for a long time that creates this idea of life and being, a personality or an ego. But when we set that aside, in the beginning we have to kind of play and set it aside and it keeps coming back and its going "I got it now". No you don't got it. If you got it, you'd know and you wouldn't be saying that. You'd keep putting it to the side and try to allow the mind to settle down. Once that happens, then it's able to see things clearly. But if you look for reality in the consciousness, it will not be there simply because in order for it to be real, it would have to be permanent and it's not permanent.
You are constantly saying, "Hmm, I think I'll have 2 cheese burgers. No, I changed my mind. I'll have a Quarter Pounder". If there were permanence, you'd always order the 2 cheese burgers, not the Quarter Pounder. Why? Because of the fact that your mind cannot change. It would be there. Mind doesn't function that way. Not consciousness. Consciousness thinks things are permanent and as a result of that, the holding and clinging onto things causes suffering. And that suffering causes further delusion.
As to a life and being in misery, even if there is joy in that life and being, if that joy doesn't last, there is much pain and suffering. What we do, as practitioners, is, we see how mind works and we begin to pick up the traces of mind, not consciousness, but mind. We can use consciousness as an experimental laboratory to see the manifestations that come up so that we no longer cling to them and claim to be us or cling to them and claim them to be some other person. We see things as being open together and intermingling in accordance with causes and conditions and relations that you have. You maybe have had in your life time a time when you may have thought somebody was your enemy and you didn't like them. And all of a sudden you like them. It changes. If it was always that that person was your archenemy, they would only be your archenemy, not something else. So things change.
We see these changes and it enables us to be able to deal with the world or what we call the environment. This, right now, is out environment. Wherever we go is our environment. How do we change that environment that we are in? How do we affect that environment? We begin to see the things that we do as an ego can really pollute an environment or it can make something very good. But when we put down the idea of both the good and bad, then the mind simply functions in a perfect way. It need not have to think about if I am good or am doing bad. It just simply does what is necessary and this is how we approach things.
Question: What is a synonym for Sutra?
Answer: A Sutra is generally a teaching of the Buddha. But it can also be teaching of an enlightened master that is interpreting the Buddha. For instance, Hui Neng's Platform Sutra could be one. But you have other sutras that are attributed to the Buddha. Understanding that those sutras are by and large interpretations of what the Buddha said earlier and were written by disciples and not by the Buddha sitting down at his desk and writing these things out. But, they nevertheless embody the teachings. The teachings also undergo a bit of evolution, or I should say, refinement. Some practitioners would cringe if I said "refinement", but that's why I used the word "evolution" or "interpretation" but still consistent with the idea of the principle of impermanence, of no-self, of emptiness. All of these things that come in and we see suffering. Actually the practice is one that's not a negative practice. It's a positive practice. It's not that we just sit around going "Oh, woe to me. Everything here is suffering". If we put our mind to it, we can change this place. This is how it works.
Skandhas, Dhatus, Ayatanas and the 18 realms
Its chapter 82, and the person that is speaking to the Buddha is Mahamati. He is a very good practitioner. He says to the Buddha, "Bhagavan, would you please explain again the arising and cessations of Skandhas, Dhatus and Ayatanas? So he is asking him to explain this arising and falling of Skandhas (which are forms, sensations, perception, volition and consciousness), Dhatus (phenomenon) and Ayatanas (sensory inputs that come in) and sometimes they talk about the 18 realms of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, thought) and the consciousness of all of those. He is asking "can you explain about this rising and falling of these?". The Buddha responds, "Foolish people rely on arising and cessation and fail to experience the end of suffering and fail to know Nirvana. Listen carefully and I will tell you. The Tathagata Garbha is the cause of whatever is good or bad and is responsible for every form of existence everywhere."
So here is this change and historically we are looking at things as a bit of a change where they are talking about Buddha Dhatu (or Buddha Nature) which is another term for Tathagata Garbha (thus come one from the womb). Womb does not mean the womb that is going to give birth, but the womb that holds everything that's there. So he is referring to mind itself, not consciousness. He is also referring to everything that's good or bad and all comes from there. So if you see somebody that's very very angry and they'll say something that's profane like "you dirty son of a b-tch", you'd say "Oh my God, that person said that!". That's not really from mind, could be from the mind or just the consciousness but no, it is part of consciousness and also it is from mind because it was set into motion by all sorts of different causes and conditions and concomitant causes of somebody that learned those words and got angry enough to use them and projected them at this point.
So these are projections. The projections are something that if one is to watch a movie and we put a projector here and we see a wonderful nature movie with dolphins jumping in the water and then we see somebody like Hitler and the holocaust, then we say one is good and one is bad. But whatever is projected on the screen, the screen doesn't interfere with the projector. It is connected with all of those things. It sees the things and reflects them as they are. There is an inherent reality in that, not in the pictures themselves but in the fact that it enables those things to appear to accordance with causes and conditions - perfectly appearing in this way. In that way one begins to understand that mind is beyond the consciousness itself. That there is this projection that's there and it's being projected on mind.
(Gilbert reading from the chapter:) "Its' like an actor who changes appearances in different settings but who lacks the self or what belongs to a self because it is not understood. Followers of the path unwittingly imagine an agent responsible for the effects that arise from the 3-fold combination."
So here is the thing in terms of the past, present and future, all these things arising and they are talking about that agent. Your question (Gilbert addressing a student) was a legitimate one. You were asking "Is it a divine plan?" No it's not a divine plan. Your question is being answered here. And its saying that "because it's not understood, followers of the other paths unwittingly imaging an agent responsible." You could replace that word agent to say "God" is responsible for the effects that arise. But they are saying "It isn't in this way". There is no divine plan.
(Gilbert reading further:) "When it's impregnated with the habit energy of beginningless fabrication, it is known as repository consciousness, and gives birth to fundamental ignorance along with 7 kinds of consciousness."
Now everything that was said in this sentence would take me several weeks to explain. But we are going to go through it the best we can.
So the first thing he is saying is impregnated. So when is it impregnated? Now, he is talking about consciousness. He is saying when the consciousness is impregnated with habit energy and actually I should say it's not just consciousness. He is talking about the 8th consciousness here. And I'll explain that in a moment.
Habit energy is as if one is to smoke a cigarette today and smoke another one tomorrow and maybe later they'd smoke 2, 3, 4 cigarettes a day and then 4 cigarettes an hour because they develop the habit energy to do that. They've impregnated the mind with this desire and so as it impregnates it, the desire will come up. Why? Because we've put it there. It is what we call "Bija", a seed.
In this way, the repository that they are talking about is mind itself. And whatever we put into this repository, it will draw up and out of it something that we put in. So we'd be thinking about something. I'm thinking about a vacation. Its keeps coming up in the mind. Or you are thinking of lunch. Or you are thinking how much you hate work. So when you are at work, you'd be hating work all the time because you've impregnated the mind with these images, these projections. We take these projections to be our mind, but it's not. It's just our consciousness arising because we put those thoughts in there.
Question: So then it's habitual to have loving Bija to seed your reality, your reflection, your projection with love or is that just getting caught in the illusion <can't understand>?
Answer: You could do that or you could develop "Metta" (loving kindness) which isn't bad. But it will not enable one a deep realization because one is still within the realm of projections. And even though we have a positive projection which isn't bad, we are still within the realm of those projections. I am not saying you shouldn't do that, in fact you should, and you should comport your behaviour to high moral standards, not because you get a reward from it, but because you get to eradicate or erode the illusory self or the self-nature of a person where one begins to think of others before themselves. Not bad. But, simply just doing that will not deliver a person, but it's better than thinking bad thoughts. So it's a start.
And then he talks about beginningless fabrication. The reason that he talks about beginningless fabrication is because one could get into a trap as to say where did the mind start from. We don't know! Nobody knows that. If you look at the idea of God and say "God created everything," then what's the next question? Who created God? And it can't be answered. Those kind of questions are useless to try to deal with because there is no way to begin to say "ok, this is the beginning of time", because as you begin to do this, you refute the idea of time. In any case, what they are talking about this beginningless fabrication is what we have talked about earlier this year about nescience entrenchment, which is fundamental ignorance. This fundamental ignorance goes directly to the idea of the illusory self and that we are unable to put down the shackles of the self. We are just too afraid to do that and too accustomed to thinking (even when we don't have fear), to the idea of consciousness versus the idea of mind.
So, the next part they talk about is repository consciousness. Repository consciousness is that since everything is connected, everything works in a certain way. So, if I slap Stan, he'd probably smile the first time and say "ok, I'll let you get that one". But if I go again, he's going to slap me back. And so it's not just the things I am thinking about, but it sets into motion all kinds of things into consciousness. They are all connected in this way. If we send a missile to a country, they'll send a missile back. If we go over there, they'll come over here. It's all connected in this way. So we see this and this is what they call repository consciousness. This repository consciousness is the 8th consciousness. In the Yogacara School they talk about the 8th consciousness. Of the senses, there are 5. Then there is Mano vijnana which is one that pulls together whatever one is seeing. One could see a round shape and a crust on it. The nose can smell that it's a smell of cherries. The fingers can feel the hot plate there. And in the Mano vijnana, it says "it's a cherry pie".
This next consciousness is the Manas consciousness. In Manas consciousness, it says "Let's eat it; now!" So it constantly setting into motion volition as to things and has an opinion about it. In the Mano vijnana consciousness, it is simply formulating something to be able to call it, say, a book. But after a while we say "this is a good book" or "this is not a good book over here". So its constantly making opinions about things, but in that 7th consciousness is what they call (and I am going very very basic Yogacara school) is a perfuming. The perfuming is what one says "oh this is a cherry pie and I like it", it perfumes that cherry pie. The cherry pie is neither good nor bad. It's just a construct of different elements that come together for a moment. But in the 7th consciousness, it creates an opinion that perfumes this 8th consciousness, this repository consciousness that enables a person to form an opinion about it - "I like it. I really really like it and I am going to eat one right now and I am not going to give you any because I like cherry pie that much. I am going to hide it". So all of these things that come up develop these cravings.
Master Sheng Yen, my Master, when he was young, during the holiday period, the people would ask the monks to come to their house. They would give them good food. So they would give them these Chinese sweet rice bowl type (Mexico's' sweet corn rice tamale type) things. So his roommate who was a young monk as well, when he got it, he would hide it underneath his pillow. Master Sheng Yen would just eat his and be done with it. And each day, the roommate would eat his a little to make it go longer. When their master found out about this, he threw the rice cake away and beat him. He did not beat him out of anger; he'd beat him out of caution so that the roommate did not create this kind of habit energy and attachment to food or attachment to hiding things, which is another thing. It could be anything he could be hiding.
We don't have people that are like caddies who go around beating us when we do things that are wrong. Maybe if we did, we wouldn't do as many things wrong as we do. But we don't have that. The only thing we have is our own wisdom as to how things work. And when we understand that wisdom, what we do is understand that if we do this will have a cost to it. It will produce this condition. And we begin to see things clear in this way.
So that is essentially what's happening with this repository consciousness. It's that whenever the cherry pie comes down or appears, the Bija seed will ring down "I want, I want, I want". Now I chose cherry pie because it's fairly innocent, except somebody with a cherry pie who digs in. But you could put whatever you want. You could put a man, woman, marijuana, alcohol, gossip, anger, all these things that ring down and create a problem in our lives. Out of our ignorance we cannot see that. But if we can see it, imagine how easier your life would be? You would have that 3 second delay that the broadcasting companies have. So before you make a mistake you can go "Oh, wait a second, do not say that to the boss. I don't care how long you have been married. Don't say it. Don't say it to your boss at work or if you are the boss don't say it to your employees."
Whatever is there, you try to harmonize with the environment, so that you don't create these problems. When that happens, when the mind does not get attracted to these seeds that rain down, then that is the Alayavijnana, that is perfected. It is no longer subject to the habitual tendencies. It does not mean it is not subjected to karmic forces. Karmic forces will still be affected just simply like if you said say "I wish it stopped raining", that it wouldn't stop raining because by nature, things move naturally, things that have been set into motion before that would still produce things. The only difference would be that things that you are not going to commit future karma from your encounters with the karma that comes up at that point, or retribution that can come up to you because before you used to be a bad person and now you are a good person. It doesn't mean that because now you are a good person you are immune from misfortune. Those things will happen no matter what and you have the misfortune of this life too, the things that happen.
So it's all connected as you begin to see it, but it smooths out the life quite a bit.
(Gilbert reading further:) "It is like the ocean whose waves rise without the seas but it transcends the misconception of impermanence or conceit of self and is essentially pure and clear. The 7 kinds of thoughts of the remaining forms of consciousness, the will, conceptual consciousness and the others in the senses rise and cease as a result of mistakenly projecting and grasping external appearances."
Because people are attached to the names and appearances of all kinds of shapes, they are unaware that such forms and characteristics are perceptions in their own mind. They don't see that there are perceptions in their own mind. They don't see that these things are illusory. They take them to be real. That bliss or suffering does not lead to liberation, which answered your question when you were talking about "if I do good...". But that bliss will not lead you to liberation. It will make you a better citizen but it won't lead to liberation because you are still caught up in the projection of the world. This word "projection" is a very important word for us to do because when you sit to meditate, you have all sorts of projections. It's easier to see things when you are meditating as projections when they are here, but everything you see here, including me, are projections in your own mind. When you begin to realize that, you begin to realize that all of these things are all connected. They are all playing out in accordance with causes and conditions.
(Gilbert reading further:) "As we become enveloped by names and appearances, their desires arise and create more desires, each becoming the cause and condition of the next. Only if the senses stop functioning, the remaining projections in the mind no longer arose and they do not distinguish bliss or suffering when they enter the samadhi of cessation of sensation and perception. However, in their cultivation of the truth of liberation, they give rise to the concept of liberation and fail to transcend or transform what is called the repository consciousness of the Tathagata Garbha."
This is really a lot that I am doing but I am giving you an exposure to it and letting you know that it's essentially saying that if you let go of these things, if you just allow them to be projected, knowing, reflecting that they are just mere surface of the mind and no longer taking it to be mind itself, then we no longer dealing with the repository consciousness, but we are seeing things clearly through the Alayavijnana as the Yogacara School would look at it and see clearly as the Zen School would say. The Buddha Dhatu, the true nature of the mind, one would realize their True Nature.
In this way the Yogacara school and the Chan school are very very similar, using different terms and maybe approaching it differently, with the Yogacara school saying this is mind only or consciousness only. The Chan school cuts right to the chase saying "this is mind;" the self-nature of mind. This is how it works and in that it cuts through all kinds of conceptions so that one is not left with anything to debate with or debate against in terms of simply seeing how mind works. One cannot see how mind works via the consciousness. One has to allow the mind to settle.
"As the 7 kinds of consciousness never stop flowing…" This is very important because as we sit to meditate, we want the 7 kinds of consciousness to stop flowing. "I don't want to think anymore. I don't want to do this. I am not thinking anymore. Its quiet. I must be enlightened." No! Even when the projections are becoming dimmer and dimmer, the self is still there. It's natural that these things will arise and its possible that one that is realizing the self-nature of mind will be able to see the vestiges of self that are coming up like echoes in the mind. One does not attach to it. We let those go. As a result of letting those go, the mind becomes more and more settled.
So it's really important for you to understand that point that the 7 kinds of consciousness never stop flowing. What happens is a lot of time when people begin to meditate, they want everything to stop and it doesn't work that way. What stops is the attachment to all those things. But the mirror still reflects. And how so? because the different kinds of consciousness arise out of causes and conditions.
"This is not the understanding of the Sravaka or Pratyekabuddha practitioners because they do not realize that there is no self that is arising from the grasping the individual or shared characteristics of the Skandha, Dhatus and Ayatanas." Essentially if one is grasping the idea that the consciousness can be purified, that one can stop thinking all these things, these are still erroneous assumptions. We are not seeing how mind works. And as we are seeing that, we are deluded into thinking that when the consciousness slows down, that in fact is a realization, a genuine realization, which it is not.
It is not the idea. The mind in actuality speeds up, not slows down. But it is able to handle the processing of much more data quickly to make more well knowing decisions, if that is wisdom. It's wisdom that is aware of what people are doing, whether they are scratching themselves, yawning or looking away. But it doesn't interfere with your ability to communicate with people. We are totally aware of that. All of this information comes in very very quickly to the mind all the time; all the time. It's because of our grasping of conceptions that blind us and keep us from being able to realize this incredibly functioning mind.
I am going to jump ahead a little bit. I may come back later. But I want you to have this payoff a little bit today. So, he says "All of the repository consciousness seen by the minds of the Sravakas (Pratyekabuddha who are practitioners that aren't really practicing Buddha dharma) is essentially pure. But because its obscured by the dust of sensation, it appears impure. But not to the Tathagatas, not to a Buddha. To Buddhas, the realm that appears to them is like a Amala (aamla) fruit in the palm of their hand.
The amala fruit is this giant goose berry that they have in India. And then the Buddha talks about how he used his spiritual power to enable the Queen Srimala, which is we talked about in the Lion's Roar Sutra earlier this year, to be able to teach other Bodhisattvas a deep wisdom and explain the meaning of what is called the repository consciousness in the Tathagata Garbha, which is well explained in that sutra which appear together along with 7 kinds of other consciousness. So that those Sravakas still attached to them might see that persons and dharmas are without self.
"Thus supported by the power of the Buddha, Queen Srimala explains the realm of understanding of Tathagatas and not the realm of understanding of Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas".
The point here is that this realm of understanding is a different one from the way we look at things and the way we perceive things via consciousness versus the way it really is. So in the Lion's Roar sutra, its approaching it from this idea of the Buddha Dhatu (Buddha nature) of the mind versus somebody seeing things from the conceptualization arising from consciousness.
Question: So what they are saying here is that the Theravadin path is looking at things as pure and impure whereas the approach of the Tathagatas is that they see it all as following from causes and conditions and is still pure. Is that what they are trying to say?
Answer: Pretty much. We talk about pure and impure, but here when they are talking about the mind being pure, it also encompasses the not-pure, in terms of just its natural functioning. Then it continues and says "The repository consciousness of the Tathagata garbha (the nature of your mind) is something only Buddhas and wisest Bodhisattvas who rely on meaning, understand. Therefore, you and the other Bodhisattvas should diligently reflect on the repository consciousness of the Tathagata garbha."
You have to diligently look into it. There is nothing that I am going to say to you that will get you there; nothing. The whole practice of Chan or Zen is for you to look into mind to realize the self nature of mind. It says, "Don't simply think hearing about this is enough. If you think you are going to get the answer from what I am saying, it's not enough." All I am doing is what they use as an analogy is a finger pointing at the moon, where the moon represents the true nature of mind. You have to look beyond the finger, at the moon itself. When you see things this way, it's different because now you are investigating mind. That's what they talk about investigating Chan. When you are investigating mind, you are looking at mind, at appearances in mind and you are not swayed or deluded by what appears in mind and not able to see mind itself.
It's like if one has to look up at the sky and it had clouds and you go "oh, the sky is these clouds", without ever realizing that it's limitless, limitless sky. But you are deluded in the belief that the sky is made of these clouds versus the limitlessness of the mind itself. That's what you have to do. When you sit to meditate, this is where you put your mind and investigate with that. And when you are walking around, you use this wonderful, wonderful mind. If you navigate the world in this way, you are navigating through wisdom not delusion.
Posted by Bill at 12:31 PM
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Pizza night is something the whole family can look forward to, especially after a long week of work, school and activities. Fortunately, pizza night doesn't need to be fussy or a lot of work. And for parents of picky eaters, it's a great way to help kids get a balanced meal by incorporating vegetables into a food that they love. One of the easiest ways to enjoy time with the family on pizza night is to get everyone involved in decorating the "rainbow pizza"!
On pizza night, there's no need to start from scratch! Grab a Tombstone Original 5 Cheese Pizza from the freezer aisle and you've got the perfect base of crisp crust topped with mozzarella, cheddar, Parmesan, Asiago and Romano. No need to worry about sticky dough or getting sauce everywhere — all you need to do is figure out what toppings to use!
Warm oven according to package instructions. Then place unwrapped pizza directly on center rack and bake for two to three minutes until cheese softens but doesn't melt. Remove from oven and help kids arrange the veggies in a rainbow pattern starting along the crust of the pizza. Then, drizzle with one teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Return to oven and bake pizza 10 to 15 more minutes. Remove and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
With these few simple steps and time-saving tricks you'll be hosting a pizza party to remember. Whether it's four guests or 40, have fun making memories while enjoying good food! For more delicious recipes for balanced meals, explore the Nestle Balance Your Plate website at www.nestleusa.com/nutrition/balance/recipes.


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Holscher History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name is a shortened form of the Middle Low German word "holtsate," meaning "one who dwells in the woods." Holstein, was the name of a German region as well as of several villages, and in turn, some bearers of this name no doubt derived their name from the place names.
Early Origins of the Holscher family
The surname Holscher was first found in Germany, where the name Holscher came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as numerous branches of the same house acquired distant estates, some of which were located in other countries. Through the acquisition of these estates as well as their important contributions to society, the family successfully elevated their social status.
Important Dates for the Holscher family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holscher research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Holscher History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Holscher Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Holst, Holste, Holsten, Holster, Holstein and many more.
Early Notables of the Holscher family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Holscher Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Holscher migration to the United States
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Holscher Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Herm Heinr Holscher, aged 26, who arrived in America in 1814 [1]
Georg Heinr Holscher, who arrived in Cincinnati, Oh in 1834 [1]
Heinrich Holscher, who landed in America in 1835 [1]
Bern Heinr Holscher, who landed in America in 1835 [1]
Joh Heinr Holscher, who arrived in America in 1836 [1]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Holscher (post 1700)
Loretta Holscher, American Democrat politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Minnesota, 1984 [2]
^ Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
^ The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Holscher (German)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The practice of Yoga has been around for about 5,000 years with its origin in India and involves the combination of spiritual, physical and mental elements. Yoga is a type of meditation that demands the practitioner to pay full attention while he/she moves from one yoga position to the other. As you learn the new methods of shifting and responding to your body and mind, other parts of your life will change significantly.
The practice of Yoga is partly physical involving the movement of one pose to the other. When you practice Yoga regularly, it eventually develops your strength and stamina. The spiritual benefits are attained when you get much broader because without this it will merely be a gym session or a stretch class. Yoga is a mental practice that enables you to get through psychological challenges and emotional stress.
There is always guidance, wisdom, and inspiration deep within us, but we often get distracted by thoughts of worry, and we fail to notice this. With regular practice of Yoga or meditation which primarily involves calming and clearing our minds, it leads us to a broader sense of hope, well-being, love, and inspiration that is deep within us.
The practice of regular Yoga and meditation makes people more focused and present. Whether you are making a challenging pose or closely following the step-to-step movements of a Yoga sequence, people tend to develop better concentration skills and increase their ability to focus on the challenges at hand. When children practice Yoga, for instance, the series and flow of Yoga can be positively transferred to increased attentiveness in their school work and other extracurricular activities.
When people get committed to a consistent Yoga practice, they seek to experience and be aware of the energy, spirit within and without them. In this case, spirit refers to higher consciousness which involves a driving force, high motivation and having a clear reason behind everything we think and perform. During such a practice, being aware of this energy is spiritual. On that note, awareness is significant to Yoga as a spiritual practice.
Are you an individual with low self-esteem and often develop butterflies when you need to interact with other people? Even if you are someone that is a "people person", I am sure you have experienced times where you felt anxious and had low levels of confidence. Regardless of where you fall in the spectrum, you should consider incorporating a Yoga practice into your regular work out plan. The greatest attribute of practicing Yoga is mainly focusing on self-discovery and evolution instead of wasting time competiting and comparing yourself to others. When adults and children alike practice Yoga, they get encouraged to follow their paths, move in their own pace, and have confidence.
Maybe it's your first time doing yoga or perhaps you have been practicing for years – regardless, I invite you to join me in a class, workshop or retreat. We can practice what it means to truly surrender and discover our place and purpose in this world.


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Life & Death, Money
What are the assets your will doesn't cover?
By Noel Whittaker – Finance Expert and Author
There's more to estate planning than writing a will. Finance expert Noel Whittaker explains what you need to know to protect your assets that fall through the cracks.
Mostpeople realise the importance of having a will, but there is still a lot of misunderstanding about which assets are subject to the will and those that fall outside the will.
Two of the major assets that fall outside the will are property and shares held as joint tenants — on death of one owner, the asset automatically vests in the survivor irrespective of the terms of the will. This is why it may be better to hold them as tenants in common if there is a blended family with each partner wanting the assets they brought to the marriage to go to their own line.
Retirement income stream products like allocated pensions and annuities when there is a reversionary beneficiary fall outside the will. Insurance bonds are also excluded, as the proceeds vest in the nominated beneficiary on the death of the bond owner.
Superannuation is another asset that does not necessarily flow in terms of the will. The trustee of the fund has the final say as to who gets the proceeds, unless there is a current binding nomination requiring the trustee to pay the proceeds in the manner specified in the nomination document. Unless the paperwork for this is completed properly there could be unintended consequences, which may well not be what the deceased would have contemplated.
Superannuation is another asset that does not necessarily flow in terms of the will.
The extraordinary case of Katz v Grossman [2005] NSWSC 934 is a dramatic example of what can occur when things go wrong. In this case the father, Ervin Katz, had a self-managed superannuation fund with assets worth over $1 million and via a non-binding nomination had directed proceeds be shared equally between his son and his daughter when he died. The daughter and her father were the co-trustees of the fund.
When the father died, the daughter ignored his wishes and instead of appointing her brother as second trustee, gave the position to her husband instead. They then went about distributing all the proceeds of the fund to just the daughter, leaving the brother with nothing. The brother took the matter to court, but lost.
If the father had taken the trouble to have his trust deed reviewed, and then sought appropriate financial planning advice, it would have been a different outcome. For example, the deed could have been amended so that all children automatically became trustees on the father's death.
At the very least, the father could have drawn up a binding nomination instead of a non-binding one. Then, the trustees would have been compelled to pay the proceeds to all the siblings in accordance with the wishes of the deceased.
Binding nominations are becoming quite popular and are simple to prepare. It is just a matter of filling out the form that the superannuation company gives to you and having it properly witnessed. But binding nominations should only be used after taking good advice, because they remove the flexibility to distribute the proceeds in the most tax-effective manner.
Binding nominations are becoming quite popular and are simple to prepare.
For example, if one child is a 'dependant' then they escape the non-dependant tax of 15 per cent plus Medicare Levy. If the other child is over 18 years of age and not being maintained by the deceased then they suffer the tax. This is unfair. To avoid this, the children could work together. The dependant could take 100 per cent of the parent's superannuation and the non-dependant gets a top-up in the will — tax-free. To do this the trustee needs the flexibility a binding nomination would remove.
If you are considering making a binding death benefit nomination, first make sure you clearly understand the implications. A binding nomination can only be made to a dependant (as defined in superannuation law) or legal personal representative (your executor). Once a valid binding nomination is in place, the trustee must follow it, even if your circumstances have changed — so they lose the discretion to distribute the proceeds of your fund in the most tax-effective manner.
A couple went to a seminar where I was discussing potential family conflicts and the use of a death benefit nomination. Without taking advice, they promptly executed a binding death benefit nomination leaving half of their superannuation to each other, and the balance to be divided equally between their two children, who were high earning professionals.
The husband died suddenly, leaving $4 million in superannuation. If there had been no death benefit nomination, the whole $4 million could have been left to the widow tax-free. However, because of the binding nomination, the trustee was obliged to pay $2 million tax-free to the widow, and $1 million to each of the two children. The death tax on that was $170,000 to each child — a total of $340,000.
Another problem is that the binding nominations usually need to be reinstated every three years. If you suffer from Alzheimer's disease for three years then your binding nomination fails — a power of attorney can't be used to refresh the three-year period.
It's important to tailor expert advice to individual circumstances. If a family has always got along famously and have total trust in each other, it may be better to avoid the binding nomination to maintain flexibility. However, if there is even a hint that there may be trouble in the future, a binding nomination may be an essential preventative mechanism.
Noel Whittaker is the author of Making Money Made Simple and numerous other books on personal finance. noel@noelwhittaker.com.au. Seek advice from a professional before making any important financial decisions.
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Financial resolutions Aussie seniors should make in 2020
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Aged care costs have dropped, but you might still be paying more
Noel Whittaker: Don't wait to put your enduring power of attorney in place
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How seniors' savings accounts are being ravaged by the big banks
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Obama and Iraq: A General Election Strategy
by Ed Kilgore, July 9th, 2008 5:47 PM EST
Editor's Note: We are very pleased to publish this Strategy Memo by Bruce W. Jentleson, Professor of Public Policy Studies and Political Science at Duke University. Dr. Jentleson is probably best known as the author of American Foreign Policy: The Dynamics of Choice in the 21st Century. This item was originally published on July 3, 2008. Here's a Print Version of the piece.
His opposition to the Iraq war helped Barack Obama win the Democratic presidential nomination. Will it help him win the presidency?
It could and should, but isn't necessarily helping him yet. Polls show Americans very strongly opposed to the Iraq war but not sure whether the anti-war Obama or pro-war John McCain will handle the issue better going forward. Conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer even issued a "bring it on" dare to "make the election about Iraq."
Why this seeming paradox? And how can Obama translate opposition to the Iraq war to support for him?
Iraq needs to be addressed as a three-dimensional issue: (1) the war itself and the need to shift emphasis from what Obama is against to what he is for, and not just the calendar for getting out but the alternative strategy for doing so; (2) Iraq as a measure of Obama's overall foreign policy capability, particularly passing the commander-in-chief test without getting trapped into the "I'll bomb, too" Democratic wannabe role; and (3) Iraq as a temperature-taker as to whether this is another anti-military Democrat or someone who genuinely respects the institution, its people and its culture.
Initial General Election Poll Data
Four main points should be made about Iraq and public opinion:
First, Iraq remains a crucial issue. The economy is now issue #1, with 33% saying in the June ABC-Washington Post poll that it would be the most important issue in their vote for president. But Iraq is issue #2 at 19%, with the next nearest issue being health care at 8%. While it's true that Iraq was the top issue a year ago, the fact that it is still as high as it is amidst the worst economic problems in at least a quarter century and despite the surge having reduced the sense of immediate crisis shows real political staying power.
Second, the public remains very opposed to the war. On whether going to war was the right or wrong decision, the numbers are 38% vs. 54%; phrased as "whether it was worth fighting," 34% yes – 63% no. Some credit is being given to the surge with the percentage saying we are winning up from 29% in January 2007 to 38% in June 2008 (ABC-Washington Post). But the same poll showed only 41% in support of keeping military forces in "until civil order is restored" and 55% opposing. The Newsweek June 18-19 poll giving options for keeping "large numbers of U.S. military personnel in Iraq" had 45% saying bring them home now or in less than one year, 20% saying within 1-2 years, 4% 3-5 years and 26% as long as it takes to achieve U.S. goals.
Third, Democrats are faring well on party preference questions for both Iraq and foreign policy generally. When asked which party would handle Iraq better, Democrats have been pretty consistently getting a 10+ margin, e.g., 50% to 34% in an April CBS-New York Times poll. On who would do a better job generally on foreign policy, the gap in recent polls varies but favors Democrats, 51-31 the largest margin, 45-40 the narrowest. Even the narrowest contrasts quite favorably with the strongly pro-Republican pattern that largely held for many years, including 47-28 in the early Reagan years; 60-26 in October 1991 after the first Gulf War; 51-33 in March 1994 amidst the early Clinton administration failures in Somalia and elsewhere; and 53-36 at the beginning of George W. Bush's second term. Terrorism is the one issue on which Republicans still hold an advantage. Here the recent range goes from 47-40 to 31-30, although juxtaposed with disapproval of the Bush terrorism policy (57-38).
Fourth, though, is that when personalized to the presidential candidates, the assessments are more mixed. McCain was ahead 50-41 in an April poll on who would do a better job handling the Iraq war. This was down to 46-43 in a May poll, and 47-46 in a June poll (ABC-Washington Post). Obama does better on the differently phrased question on confidence to "make the right decisions about the war in Iraq". When asked in February their overall confidence levels were comparable (58% McCain, 57% Obama) but within that those very confident in McCain were 27% while only 20% were very confident in Obama. The following month the candidates remained even at 56% in the overall numbers but McCain's very confident number had fallen to 19% with Obama at 17%. Still, these are quite different from issue-based preferences on which the anti-Iraq margin is much more robust.
In sum, while Iraq is not McCain's issue, it is much less Obama's than it could be given the issue preferences.
Iraq: Strategic Shift
In the Democratic primary it was enough to be against the Iraq war. Barack Obama's anti-war credential was stronger and purer than that of Hillary Clinton's early challengers like John Edwards and Joe Biden. But the general election requires making the case for what you're for, not just what you're against.
Sure, there's plenty of room to hit McCain on his Iraq weaknesses, including his "end in sight" prognostication over five years ago, the "100 year presence" remark, his various gaffes about Iraqi factions, and his vulnerability on this issue more than any other to the charge that he would offer a third Bush term. The most important challenge, though, is to explain the Obama strategy for getting out of Iraq – what might be called a "strategic shift" — as far better than the McCain position of staying on a costly and flawed course.
This starts with conveying the strategic understanding (as James Vega stressed in his Democratic Strategist articles on military strategy) that there is a mission still to be achieved. U.S. interests continue to be at stake in Iraq: anti-terrorism efforts against al Qaeda and any other transnational terrorist safe havens; regional containment to prevent the Iraqi conflict spreading to and further drawing in neighboring countries, and sufficient internal stabilization to at least avert ethnic bloodbaths. The Obama assessment should differentiate from the Bush-McCain overstatement of the threats without falling into an understatement.
From that baseline two sets of questions need to be convincingly answered: what the strategy is, and why it's the right one.
Defining the strategy
Four key components define a strategic shift with respect to Iraq:
First and most fundamental is the core commitment to withdraw American military forces from Iraq within the first 16 months of his presidency. Obama must be unwavering in this commitment. It's not just the right Iraq policy but also central to the integrity of his candidacy.
Within it there is tactical flexibility in two respects. One is on the precise timing. This is a strategy, not just a calendar; the 16 months are a working timeframe not a fixed timeline. Obama's frequent statement that the military withdrawal must be done as carefully as the invasion was done carelessly gets it right. The key is to convey both sincerity in setting the 16-month timeline and judgment in acknowledging that it can only be an estimate. The other is the military presence that may need to continue through residual and responsive forces for providing security for diplomatic presence and some civilian projects, anti-terrorism special operations forces, and some other capacities. These can be justified as prudent flexibility for a commander-in-chief, but only as necessary, not as a loophole in the overall strategic shift.
Second is a shift from the Bush token diplomacy that often has been little more than going through the motions to aggressive, high priority and systematic initiatives at three levels: globally, regionally, and within Iraq. This is about leveraging, not just talking: President Obama will bring to bear the leverage the United States does have, including the political capital that he will bring to the office. His strategy entails working at the global level with the other major global powers (Europe, Russia, China) and the United Nations to garner support for Iraqi stabilization and reconstruction; at the regional level with key parties including Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Turkey for nonintervention and cooperative regional security initiatives; and within Iraq with Shi'a, Sunnis, and Kurds for greater political reconciliation. He goes into this well aware that some have gained and can continue to gain from an unstable Iraq. But there's also a lot to be lost if negotiated agreements are not reached, especially once the U.S. is gone, whether by global powers already squeezed on oil and concerned about the region's instability, regional parties worried about the gains others may make at their expense, and the Iraqi factions potentially facing intensified sectarian violence.
Third is making it clear that U.S. withdrawal from Iraq does not mean withdrawal from the Middle East. President Obama looks forward to working with General David Petraeus as he assumes command of CENTCOM to ensure a regional military posture that will deter adversaries and reassure allies. His pledges to deal more effectively with Iran, to meet threats as well as probe for opportunities, and to pursue greater progress towards Arab-Israeli peace also are crucial parts of his overall regional peace and security strategy. Withdrawing from Iraq will both help and be helped by progress on these and other regional fronts, with the net effect of strengthening the U.S. regional position.
Fourth is Afghanistan. The public doesn't need convincing that Iraq is not the central front against terrorism: when asked whether "America's safety from terrorism depends on success in Iraq," 60% didn't think so. Between the legacy of 9/11 and re-emerging threats, Americans do see Afghanistan as a major terrorism front. The correlation between the Bush build-up in Iraq and drawdown in Afghanistan, not only in troops but also in high-level attention and overall resources, was close to one-to-one. While an Obama administration would not make a reverse one-to-one correlation, it would be in a position and of a disposition to give Afghanistan the emphasis it needs militarily as well as in other crucial elements of the strategy.
Explaining why this is the right strategy
There are three main reasons:
First, and most straightforwardly, a strategic shift is more likely to achieve the remaining mission in Iraq. Credit should be given to General Petraeus and the brave men and women – soldiers, statesmen, aid workers — who serve for what the surge has achieved. But the record is still very mixed with recurring violence, limited political reconciliation, and other indications of the limited scope and sustainability of the surge or other follow-on major military operations. Little more can be gained and much is at risk by continued massive American military presence in Iraq.
Second is the gain in credibility. Yes, gain. Credibility too often gets equated with resolve. That's true in some situations, but not when staying a course shows stubbornness more than steadfastness. Judgment that makes for the capacity to make strategic adjustments rather than blindly stay a losing course or ending up having no choice but to cut and run is the better measure of credibility. Allies, especially in a region as in flux and uncertain as the Middle East, are more likely to be reassured by savvy strategic judgment than lumbering resolve.
Third is the overall benefit to the U.S. global position. By virtually every geopolitical measure – the squandering of American power, the overextension of the American military, the undermining of American prestige, the distraction from other crucial global issues, the self-inflicted economic weakening — the Iraq war has done profound damage. Ending it has the automatic benefit of stopping the bleeding. It also creates the opportunity, directly and indirectly, to re-strengthen America's global position in ways that the scope, pace and complexity of change in today's world make all the more critical.
In making this "what and why" case for his Iraq strategy, Obama needs be straight with the American people. He can and should argue that a strategic shift is better than McCain's stay-the-course position. But he should beware promises of a sure thing. That would be breaking faith with the American people. Besides, the American people are smarter than that.
The Commander-in-Chief Test: Two Talons of the Eagle
Obama has not yet passed the commander-in-chief test. In a May CBS poll McCain got 77% saying he's likely to be effective in that role with 39% saying very effective, compared to 62% for Obama, of which only 25% are in the "very effective" category. In the June NBC-Wall Street Journal poll, McCain got 52% "very good" or "good" as commander-in-chief, Obama only 33%. Another poll asked whether McCain might be too willing to use force and Obama too reluctant, with 31% strongly agreeing with the McCain worry but 39% with the Obama worry; another poll, asked whether McCain would be "too tough" (25%) and Obama "not tough enough" (43%). With 77% of the public agreeing that "it is sometimes necessary to use military force to maintain order in the world," the commander-in-chief test has to be passed.
But using military force is not as defining of foreign policy leadership as in 2004. One reason is the sense of threat, substantively and especially emotionally, is not as great as in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. The other is that having had an administration that boasted about being ready even eager to use force against anyone, anytime, anywhere, and having experienced the results, the American public is admirably prudent and pragmatic about the military option. According to an extensive recent survey by Public Agenda, 64% of Americans considered the criticism of the United States as too quick to resort to war as justified, while only 31% said it wasn't. On "initiating military force only when we have the support of our allies," the results were that 51% said it was very important, 33% somewhat important, 7% not very important, 7% not at all important. Even on terrorism 65% favored more emphasis on diplomatic efforts, only 28% on military efforts.
The public's pragmatism also is coming through on the issue of talking to adversaries. Two recent polls following on McCain-Obama exchanges as well as President Bush's semi-direct critique in a speech to the Israeli Knesset came out 77-20 (Washington Post-ABC) anhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/documents/postpoll_061608.html?sid=ST2008061700079d 67-32 (USA Today/Gallup, May-19-21) in support of talks with adversaries. The Gallup poll was broken down by party identification and showed independents in favor 70-29 and even Republicans at 48-51. Another poll asking specifically about Iran got 10% favoring taking military action and 9% threatening it, but 35% favoring diplomacy.
Obama thus needs to stake out a position that balances force and diplomacy, between the Bush-McCain overestimation of the utility of military force and the stereotypic Democratic underestimation. One might call it the "two talons of the Eagle", the imagery on the back of the $1 bill, with the American Eagle holding arrows in one talon and olive branches in the other at equal heights, with equal firmness, mutually reinforcing, in balance.
This means making clear that his opposition to the Iraq war does not mean he is inherently opposed to the use of force. Iraq was the wrong war, but we may still have to fight wars. One wishes it could be said otherwise but being realistic about the world we live in does not allow for that. Those arrows do sometimes need to be used.
Obama needs to credibly convey commitment to maintain the military strength necessary to deter wars and other aggression, win those wars and other military operations that need to be fought, and provide reassurance to friends and allies. This comes through somewhat in prior statements and position papers from the primaries; it needs to be driven home in the new context of the McCain comparison.
But this does not mean becoming an "I'll bomb, too" Democratic "wannabe." Numerous other polls beyond the ones cited above show that the public gets the desirability of diplomacy. It's the do-ability that tends to be questioned. Obama needs to articulate an approach to diplomacy as not just process but as strategy, geared not just to conflict avoidance but to security enhancement and capable of achieving its own strategic objectives. Talk but talk tough. Ready to make deals, but hard-headed about the terms. Understanding that diplomacy is not an end in itself but a means to the ends of peace and security.
Plenty of validating cases can be cited: John Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis; Henry Kissinger and China; George H.W. Bush and the re-unification of Germany; Bill Clinton and Bosnia. You could even include George W. Bush in one of his few foreign policy successes, the 2003 agreement with Libya ending its weapons of mass destruction programs and support for terrorism.
None of these initiatives were purely about diplomacy. All were backed to some extent by American military power.
It's the two together, both talons of the Eagle, that make for foreign policy success. It can't just be the olive branches: Obama does have to pass the commander-in-chief test. If the public has to choose, it may still go with the arrows. But it's also not just the arrows. What the American people really want is a leader who gets the balance right.
There's also a measure of toughness from the broader political combat that plays in to foreign policy leadership. Obama is polling even with McCain on the generic question of "stronger leader" (46-46, ABC-Washington Post, June). What David Brooks calls "the whole Chicago package", liberal idealist but also sharp-elbowed politico, may pose some problems for some aspects of the campaign, but it does buttress confidence in him being across the table from the likes of Putin.
Affinity with the Military
The Obama website has its "plan to keep our sacred trust with veterans." It details support for health care, tuition and other educational assistance, and numerous other benefits for soldiers, veterans and their families. McCain is the one having to explain why he doesn't support a new GI bill.
Obama also has a number of retired military officers as advisors and endorsements from even more. Indeed, beyond the Obama campaign, various think tanks, government commissions and other projects have been bringing together Democratic national security policy wonks and military officers, serving and retired, for many years now. Views get exchanged. More commonalities are discovered than may have been expected. Relationships get built that allow for disagreement within respectful relationships. And in the formal meetings and in the bars, it's often the neo-conservative armchair warriors who are the targets of shared disdain.
Still, pollsters and focus groups pick up on widespread doubts about Obama among what James Vega calls the "pro-military but anti-Bush's war" voters. As Vega stresses these doubts are more about values, class and culture than policy per se, what a Democracy Corps analysis termed "affinity with the military."
Obama says he wants to help us, soldiers and veterans and their families can see, but do we feel like he really understands us? Do we get the sense that he respects us? Does he look down on us and what we hold dear?Yes, could we have a beer with him?
Policy positions help but won't do it on their own. The promo for the new season of the television series "Army Wives" helps. So too does the flag lapel pin Obama has started to wear including in the "Country I Love" television spot being shown in 18 states.
But these are the usual strategies that still may be seen as standard token gestures. There has to be a human connection, a cultural bridging, an affinity that shows respect and can gain it in return. There still needs to be something, perhaps even an unplanned moment or interaction, which really establishes an authenticity that resonates within the military culture.
This is the part of politics that is more about the music than the words.
Winning on Iraq
Candidate preferences and issue preferences do not always line up. That's been a problem for Democrats before. We can't let it be one again, especially on an issue like Iraq where the issue preferences so strongly tilt our way.
While other foreign policy and national security issues will play in, it's crucial to get Iraq right on all three of its dimensions. The public wants out of Iraq but with a strategy, not just a calendar. A "Strategic Shift" can provide that. Americans need confidence in their next president especially as commander-in-chief but also in his broader foreign policy savvy – the two talons of the Eagle. Even those who are not of the military and its culture value and respect it, especially for the sacrifices made for all of us. As we end the war in Iraq Americans will expect the next President to do so in ways that honor and embrace those who serve and have served.


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Q: symfony 5 - disable subscriber I am using bugsnag in a symfony 5 project to keep track of exeptions. I also use symfony messenger with rabbit for heavy processing.
Everything works fine overall, except the fact that in some cases, inside a messenger middleware (RejectRedeliveredMessageMiddleware) an exception is thrown in some particular cases in order to trigger a message reque while avoiding a possible infinite loop (RejectRedeliveredMessageException).
The exception should be there, and the behavior is correct. For example if a process stopped unexpectedly (a hard reboot or a kill), the message is requed. The logic works well, autorecovery works perfectly.
The only problem is that bugsnag registers itself as a subscriber for all kernel events, treated or not (code below)
$listeners = [
    KernelEvents::REQUEST => ['onKernelRequest', 256],
    KernelEvents::EXCEPTION => ['onKernelException', 128],

];
Normally exceptions are caught in our app before getting to the general event dispatcher and so they are not reported if they shouldn't. But, because that is in the middleware, and an event is risen it gets reported even though is already treated by the autoretry mechanism and because of that it generates a lot of noise and fake positives.
What I would need to do is unsubscribe for a particular event, but since I can't touch the 3rd party code (bugsnag and messenger) I can't find a way to do it.
Is there a way to programatically remove an event from a subscriber?

A: Inject EventDispatcherInterface and use removeSubscriber() method. You can do this in you custom middleware https://symfony.com/doc/current/messenger.html#middleware

A: It's hard to tell if this would work, but it's an angle - when you detect your Event is handled properly, you could invoke $event->stopPropagation(), perhaps from your own listener, which should: "... tell the dispatcher to stop all propagation of the event to future listeners (i.e. to not notify any more listeners)"
https://symfony.com/doc/current/components/event_dispatcher.html#stopping-event-flow-propagation

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Stick to the Facts
I am responding to David Spigelmyer's letter ("Stick to the Facts") in the Dec. 13 Butler Eagle, and also to the Jeer in that same edition that made light of health studies related to unconventional drilling.
In his letter, Mr. Spigelmyer touts Pennsylvania's strong regulatory framework with regard to the oil and gas industry, while imploring us to "stick to the facts." With pleasure...
Fact: a recent Harrisburg Patriot-News investigation has uncovered "systemic failures" on the part of state regulators to enforce environmental, health and safety standards for the multibillion-dollar oil and gas industry. http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/10/state_regulators_fail_to_prote.html#incart_m-rpt-2
Fact: The federal Environmental Protection Agency has found "major issues" with the Pennsylvania DEP in a recent review of DEP practices. http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/11/federal_regulators_find_major.html
Fact: The EPA itself is under fire from its own scientists re: a study of fracking's effects on drinking water; the scientists refute the study's claim that fracking "has not led to widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water resources in the United States." http://insideclimatenews.org/news/19112015/fracking-water-pollution-epa-study-natural-gas-drilling?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=3c54768dcb-Weekly_Newsletter_11_22_201511_20_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-3c54768dcb-327748361
What we have here is a case of tumbling regulatory dominoes, making it doubtful that the public can trust the oil and gas industry to be adequately regulated at any level, state or federal.
Both Mr. Spigelmyer's letter and the editorial Jeer refer to health studies done in relation to unconventional drilling. Regarding such studies, let's be clear: none of these studies are "conclusive." All of them point to the need for further research. So by all means let's throw caution to the wind and "drill baby drill" near schools and residential areas until all the research is completed! How many times have we done this in our nation's sad industrial-health history, only to rue the consequences later?
Health care practitioners at the Southwest PA Environmental Health Project in Washington County are assisting residents with medical issues that reflect those being indicated by these studies.
In the press release to the Johns Hopkins University study linking proximity of unconventional drilling to premature births and high-risk pregnancies, lead researcher Dr. Brian Schwartz, MD states: "The first studies have all shown health impacts. Policymakers need to consider findings like these in thinking about how they allow this industry to go forward." http://www.jhsph.edu/news/news-releases/2015/study-fracking-industry-wells-associated-with-premature-birth.html
Meanwhile, local policymakers in Middlesex and Butler townships and other municipalities in Butler County have seen fit to approve unconventional drilling in close proximity to schools and residential neighborhoods in the face of all scientific medical research and what most of us consider sound zoning practices. In the zoning boards as well as the lower courts there seem to be two and only two guiding principles with regard to zoning for drilling, both of which benefit leaseholders: 1.) a person has the right to develop his property as he sees fit, and 2.) a person can get money from this kind of development.
This new approach to "zoning" poses significant soul-searching for me as I try to figure out the most profitable use for my half-acre. A methadone clinic? An adult bookstore? Maybe a small-scale nuclear waste dumping site? Points to ponder. At least there's one thing which apparently I don't need to worry about: how any of these options might impact my neighbors...
Hey -- I got my rights!!!
Mr. Spigelmyer's comments are to be expected from someone who is paid handsomely by the gas industry to make it look good. And I suppose the disparaging editorial comments from a newspaper that receives thousands of dollars annually in advertisements (read: propaganda) from the gas industry is to be expected as well.
Blog posts written by members of Marcellus Outreach Butler.
Butler Township
Cement Casings
Chemicals Used
Clean Air Council
Commomwealth Court
Concerned Health Professionals Of New York
Constitution Pipeline
Contaminated Water
Cutting Trees For Pipelines
Delaware Riverkeeper Network
Drilling Ban
Farmers Against Fracking
Farm Show
Forest Stewardship Program
Gas Industry Lies
Gas Lease
Gerhart
Geyer Wellpad
Groundwater Contamination Cases
Halliburtan Loophole
Health Study
Holleran
Holleran-Zeffer
Hormone-disrupting
Long Term Effects
Long-term Effects
Maggie Henry
Maple Farm
Margaret Flower
Mars Parent Group
Mars School Board
Mars Schools
Middlesex Planning Commission
Middlesex Township
Nonviolent Direct Action
Pa Constitution
Pennsylvanians Against Fracking
Proposed Processing Plant
Rep. Brian Ellis
Residential Drilling
Rights Of The People
Sacrifice Zone
Seneca Valley School
Sen. White
Stephen Cleghorn
Stop The Frack Attack
Supreme Court Ruling
Vehicle Acidents
Well Casings
Well Integrity


IBM has announced two new storage products - upper midrange and high-end disk arrays designed for ease of use and lower cost.
The DS6000 and DS8000 feature higher physical storage capacities, a modular architecture, and additional visualisation technology, all in systems considerably smaller than previous versions.
The high-end disk array DS8000 features advanced 64-bit Power5 processing capabilities and will be available in two-way and four-way controller configurations, with eight-way and 12-way versions planned for the future. The DS8000 will connect to other vendors' storage systems and uses SAN Volume Controller (SVC) software for visualisation.
The DS6000 is built on IBM's Power4 processor and comes in a 3U cabinet configuration that supports 16 drives and 13 expansion drawers. It can support as much as 67TB of storage and 4GB of cache.
"The announcements we are making today are going to change the way the market looks, and four years from now things will look drastically different," said Bill Zeitler, senior vice president of systems and technology group.
Zeitler added that he thinks the storage market will shift from vendors being in control to one in which the customers hold the power. "This is not IBM taking the storage proposition to market, this is IBM and a lot of partners," Zeitler said. "It is not IBM standing alone that will bring choices to market."
IBM customer Bob Venable, enterprise systems manager at Blue Cross Blue Shield, came onstage in a panel discussion during the event and explained that his company's storage has grown by a factor of 10 in the last four years, all while reducing the staff that manage storage. "Soft [logical partitioning] is the key," Venable said. "We've taken it down from the mainframe to Unix." Venable plans to also partition on Windows and Linux systems, but has not done so yet.
According to a research report from PacificCrest, the new offerings should help IBM, particularly in the mid-range. The report says that the DS6000 "will extend some of IBM's high-end functionality into the fast-growing midrange storage market segment".
The two systems compete with systems from EMC and Hitachi Data Systems. The DS8000 competes with EMC's Symmetrix platform, while the DS6000 is competitive with EMC's Clariion products. IBM is not the only company to recently release some new high-end storage products. Hitachi last month announced its new TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform, which will be resold by Sun and HP.
According to IDC, IBM had 21.7 percent market share in the high-end storage market in 2003. EMC had the largest market share with 34.9 percent.


Explore, Learn, Have Fun!: Spring FUN Break at Stone Mountain Park!
Stone Mountain Park , Georgia's No. 1 attraction, extends its Spring FUN Break event to two weeks of family-friendly shows and entertaining attractions to accommodate metro Atlanta school Spring Break calendars.
Spring FUN Break (SFB) begins the adventure with Journey 2: The Mysterious Island – The 4-D Experience. The 12-minute sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth engages guests through a 3-D film featuring spectacular 4-D special effects. Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) partners with his mom's husband (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) on a mission to find his grandfather (Michael Caine), who is thought to be missing on a mythical island. Together with a helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and his beautiful daughter (Vanessa Hudgens), they embark on an amazing voyage and find incredible beauty amidst grave danger.
Another new beginning at SFB is the opening of Campfire Grill. Half dining experience and half adventure, Campfire Grill embarks guests onto a camping trip where diners can hear the rustle of the woodland creatures, spot the soft glow of fireflies and almost feel the warmth from the campfire effects. At Campfire Grill, tables are called campsites, guests are campers and servers are camp counselors. "Campers" are tempted with signature menu items such as Campfire Skewers, Coca-Cola®Infused Ribs and warm Brownie S'Mores. The littlest campers can explore the paw prints on the tables and floors and create their own animal track crayon rubbings.
Returning to SFB is the popular Wildlife Wonders' Animal Babies show. From a baby otter to kangaroo and bunnies, animal experts immerse guests in an educational and interactive animal encounter. After the show, kids can ask the animal experts questions and even touch some of the animals.
The Wake the Bear improv show also returns to SFB. Families in the audience steer the on-stage action when campers return to base camp only to realize it has become a favorite napping spot for a bear. The campers recruit the audience to help them drive the bear away and regain their campsite.
Plus, kids won't want to miss April Fool's Wacky Wonderland. The Easter Bunny and the April Fool teamed up to offer a dance party, crafts and other spring-time activities. The Easter Bunny will make appearances during the full two weeks of the SFB event. Also, younger spring breakers will love to clap and laugh along with a fearless adventurer as he tells of the remarkable expeditions during Adventure Tales storytelling.
Stone Mountain Park's Adventure Pass guarantees a full day of fun with access to all of the Spring FUN Break activities plus all of Stone Mountain Park's attractions such as the new Journey 2: The Mysterious Island – The 4-D Experience, Geyser Towers®, Sky Hike®, the Summit Skyride, the Great Locomotive Chase Adventure Golf, The Great Barn®, Scenic Railroad, the Antebellum Plantation & Farmyard and Memorial Hall Museum. Families may conclude the day with the Lasershow Spectacular in Mountainvision®. The Lasershow will be featured nightly during Spring FUN Break, March 30 - April 13 at 8:30 p.m.
Stone Mountain Park offers a variety of value-priced options for families to enjoy the park and the special SFB activities.
Plantation & Farmyard and Memorial Hall Museum.
year to take advantage of the park's attractions, special events and exclusive discounts.
$125 for a family of four (tax not included).
and complimentary cups with unlimited refills all day.
Families may also enjoy great vacation and staycation accommodations right inside the Park at two Marriott hotels. Family Escape Packages, beginning at $189 a night, include a one-night stay at the Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort or Stone Mountain Inn, 2-day Adventure Passes and breakfast.
Listed in Frommer's 500 Places to Visit with Your Kids Before They Grow Up and cited by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as one of "35 Natural Wonders in Georgia You Must See", Stone Mountain Park is located 16 miles east of downtown Atlanta. To get to the park, take I-285 to Exit 39B, Hwy. 78 East. Stone Mountain Park is Exit 8 on Hwy. 78. More information on Spring FUN Break, Stone Mountain Park attractions and hours of operation is available at www.stonemountainpark.com or by calling 770-498-5690.
Sounds like a blast, doesn't it!! Hope to see you there over Spring Break!!


The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has launched an advertising campaign to denounce acts of terrorism in the aftermath of the London suicide bomb blasts.
A ferocious campaign against Islam has recently escalated as US Radio WMAL talk show host Michael Graham described Islam as a "terrorist organization" alleging that Islam is in a state of war with the United States.
23. American Muslims are defending the "Christian veil"
16. Muslims face ignorance rather than prejudice in the U.S.
Islam is the fastest growing religion in America and expected to soon command the largest following in the country after Christianity. Many employers are unfamiliar with Islam, which is practiced by 1.2 billion people worldwide, and often don't know how to handle Muslims' requests.
18. In the United States of America, if you are a Muslim ....your murder is not a crime!
Many writers, such as Benjamin Barber, have argued that the next century will be a struggle between extreme capitalism and extreme fundamentalism, or as Barber puts it, McWorld versus Jihad, with the overall loser in the struggle, in Barber's view, being democracy.
A high profile Muslim response to an offensive Internet web site succeeded in having the site removed from one server, only to see it reappear on the web.


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« Shave and a Haircut—Two Books | Main | Reflecting on Paper »
As those of us north of 50 come to know, retirement is not what it used to be. In fact, many older Americans are retiring from their principal professions only to pursue a different kind of passion. Often it's one that takes us well beyond our ZIP code, and comfort zone.
The dividend that comes with age
Ann MacDougall is the president of Encore, a nonprofit organization based in California whose mission, Ann told me, is "to tap into the experience and wisdom of older adults for the greater good." Ann describes the dues that older professionals have paid during their years of working as "a dividend of talent and experience."
It's a dividend, she says, that we can apply toward making communities better.
I had a chance to see some of that dividend when Lori and I visited San Miguel de Allende, a picturesque city in the central highlands of Mexico with a thriving community of American expats.
"The expat community here is all about contributing," Robin Loving told me.
Robin Loving's little project
Raising money, winning trust
A successful public relations executive who sold her company when she was 51, Robin left Austin, Texas, to come to San Miguel de Allende on a calling.
"I had this notion I should be working with girls," she says. That notion turned into a seven-year project helping a local orphanage for girls, raising a million dollars for them in the process.
"The triumph for me was getting the protective Catholic nuns to allow me to come into their orphanage and see what they needed," Robin says.
Robin had studied Spanish in school, but like many of us who did, never used it on a consistent basis. In San Miguel, she decided to forgo the kinds of classes she'd had the first time around and work one-on-one with a Spanish tutor instead.Part of Robin's success is her engaging, warm nature. "As friendly as a stray dog in a meat market" is how one Texan friend describes her. But she also became adept at trading her delightful Texas twang for a very respectable Spanish accent.
"I didn't want to hear anybody else's mistakes," she says. "There would be enough of my own."
Redefining citizenship
Jennifer Lawson is another American expat in San Miguel. A retired executive from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in Washington, D.C., she had long had on her bucket list a wish to become fluent in Spanish.
She chose a different path from Robin, undertaking a full immersion course that ran from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. every day, and living with a local family.
Having a second language in this, her second act, "makes me feel that I'm more a citizen of the world," Jennifer says.
Adventures in language learning
At the language school that expats Warren Hardy and his wife, Tuli, have run in San Miguel for 27 years, they see a lot of older Americans experiencing a broadening of horizon.
"These are people 60, 70, 80 years old," says Warren, "all lifelong learners. They're still engaged in reading, learning and growth." Learning a second language adds to the adventure.
"When people first come to San Miguel, they're nervous," Warren says. "They learn enough Spanish to get by." But as they settle in, they're eager to learn more of the language. "It's an evolutionary process," he says.
"A win for our country"
Ann MacDougall, president of Encore
It also flies in the face of what Ann MacDougall of Encore calls "pervasive ageism"—the myth-guided notions that older people are rigid, fear technology, and don't know how to learn anymore.
And the notion that older people can't learn other languages?
"Nonsense," Ann scoffs. Older people learn a language differently from younger people, especially children, who learn more reflexively. But older learners, according to Ann, "bring a discipline and focus to the job."
That's true even for older Americans who see their second-act adventure closer to home. Says Ann: "The whole notion of making our country more multilingual is a win for our country."
Click here to hear more from Ann, Warren, Jennifer and Robin in Episode 16 of my America the Bilingual podcast, "Bless the Late-Blooming Bilinguals."
And I'd love to hear from you about your second acts—those in play, and those you're planning.
Posted at 03:18 PM in Bilingual Nation, Travel, Well-Read Lives | Permalink
This is very interesting, I like it. I will always come to visit after. I will recommend to friends too. Keep up the magnificent work. I think this is engaging and eye-opening material. Thank you so much for caring about your content and your readers.
Posted by: rospher | June 20, 2018 at 12:59 AM
Finding this blog was such an unexpected surprise, never thinking that there would be a blog, or even anything that would interest me on a retailer's website. Au contraire, it was like you were talking to me.
I am 'north of 50,' a lifelong learner, a tech geek, a voracious reader of books on and off line, and practicing my Spanish whenever and wherever I can, since I live in Texas.
You can definitely add me to your list of followers.
Posted by: Karen | November 16, 2018 at 10:15 PM


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Nike: Risk Everything
Client: Nike
Category: Apparel, Footwear
Agency: Mindshare
In June 2014, Brazil was all set to host the 20th FIFA World Cup. With millions around the globe tuning in to follow the much-awaited spectacle, the sporting event would also be a big ticket item for global brands.
For a sporting giant like Nike, which was the official kit maker for 10 participating countries (including hosts Brazil), the FIFA World Cup would be the biggest platform to highlight the brand and its celebrity athletes.
There was just one stumbling block: Adidas has been the official FIFA sponsor for years, which included supplying the official match ball. While that put limitations on how Nike could associate with the Football World Cup, it wasn't a showstopper.
Considering the inconvenient times of the matches for viewers in many parts of the world, the combination of growing on-demand services -- driven globally by mobile -- and Nike's 'Just Do It' attitude made a difficult marketing challenge possible. With Nike's help, consumers got more than just the action on the pitch.
Facebook and Twitter dominate the social media sphere and conversations concerning big football matches. Those conversations are predominantly post-analysis on Facebook, while pre-game and real-time game conversations tend to happen on Twitter. It is also easier for users to track and contribute to conversations that are already trending. Nike played with these insights and integrated the brand to make it a part of these football conversations. While creating a Twitter hashtag or promoting the Nike brand would have been easier, they wanted to create a much more meaningful engagement.
Since Nike wasn't one of the official partners, the brand was not allowed to use any of the official hashtags or be part of conversations on the official Twitter platform, creating a giant hurdle to be overcome.
The core target market was football-obsessed male teenagers and young adults between the ages of 16 and 22. Research indicated that the audience was most active online on social networks and discussing the game – pre, during and post – was very important for both badge value and for the target to showcase their football know-how.
Nike got over its huge hurdle by finding a loophole. It could use third-party Twitter apps for a campaign; in India alone, those apps account for over 40 percent of Twitter mobile use. The third party apps allowed the brand to target real-time conversations, hashtags and the accounts of athletes and teams, which weren't possible on the official Twitter app. To execute the campaign, Nike created a dynamic ad system synched to its targeting in the third-party Twitter apps which would serve dynamic brand communications based on the kind of conversations and hashtags that were being used, all in real time.
Nike started by mapping the Twitter handles of the athletes the brand sponsors – such as Cristiano Ronaldo. These accounts can boast thousands, if not millions of followers. This ensured reach and relevance when the brand targeted followers of these athlete accounts.
Moreover, Nike dug deeper with specific keywords to zero in on fans tweeting about matches and players. During these moments, "Risk Everything" banners on mobile would celebrate and remind fans of what their favorite teams and athletes were accomplishing at the World Cup. For top athletes, custom creative ran during their big match moments.
Nike's approach to the World Cup was mobile-first -- with every athlete, every hashtag and every team and topic having pre-defined creative ready to go at the right moment. This helped Nike own social conversations and put out contextual messaging which was very relevant to specific moments.
Creating a mobile solution that bridged dynamic ads and targeting on third-party Twitter apps was new and hadn't been tested before the World Cup. This helped Nike steer clear of the official hashtags they couldn't leverage and use Twitter in a way that hadn't been before.
Pulling this off meant Nike had to screen for keywords and hashtags users were creating – and all in real time, keeping Nike relevant in any conversation. As the ads were pushed on third party apps, Nike needed an ad serving solution that would support the rich media content created for athletes.
Herea are the results of the campaign:
Nike created and served custom content for 90 key matches featuring 12 star athletes,– generating 10 million mobile engagements.
Nike's targeted banners contributed over one million views to the "Risk Everything" campaign on YouTube, helping make it a top trending global video during the World Cup.
As a result, #RiskEverything started to trend during key matches outpacing #WorldCup, #Brasil2014 and even Adidas' #allin.


text:
Q: Reading a large CSV file in python using pandas I am trying to read a large CSV file(about 650 megabytes) and converting it to a numpy array and using pandas to read the file, and then print the numpy array.
Here is my code:
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd

csv = pd.read_csv("file.csv", header=None)
csv  = np.array(csv)
print(csv)

Running this code crashed my computer the last time I tried it. Any suggestions how to run it without crashing my computer?
Here are my laptop specs:

CPU: Intel Core i7 6500U

RAM: 12 GB LPDDR4

GPU: GeForce 940MX

EDIT: Nevermind, all I had to do is add low_memory = false when loading the CSV file.


text:
I. elegans  may refer to:
 Inquisitor elegans, a sea snail species
 Irus elegans, a bivalve mollusc species

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia