text:
Devonian Period
Devonian Period, in geologic time, an interval of the Paleozoic Era that follows the Silurian Period and precedes the Carboniferous Period, spanning between about 419.2 million and 358.9 million years ago. The Devonian Period is sometimes called the "Age of Fishes" because of the diverse, abundant, and, in some cases, bizarre types of these creatures that swam Devonian seas. Forests and the coiled shell-bearing marine organisms known as ammonites first appeared early in the Devonian. Late in the period the first four-legged amphibians appeared, indicating the colonization of land by vertebrates.
During most of the Devonian Period, North America, Greenland, and Europe were united into a single Northern Hemisphere landmass, a minor supercontinent called Laurussia or Euramerica. This union of the paleocontinents of Laurentia (comprising much of North America, Greenland, northwestern Ireland, Scotland, and the Chukotsk Peninsula of northeastern Russia) and Baltica (now most of northern Europe and Scandinavia) occurred near the beginning of the Devonian Period. Extensive terrestrial deposits known as the Old Red Sandstone covered much of its northern area, while widespread marine deposits accumulated on its southern portion. The paleoequator (the site of the Equator at a point in the geological past) passed through North America and through China, which was at that time a separate landmass. South America, Africa, India, Australia, and Antarctica were joined into the Southern Hemisphere continent of Gondwana. Parts of this continent were also often covered by seawater.
An ocean covered approximately 85 percent of the Devonian globe. There is limited evidence of ice caps, and the climate is thought to have been warm and equitable. The oceans experienced episodes of reduced dissolved oxygen levels, which likely caused the extinction of many species, especially marine animals. These extinctions were followed by periods of species diversification, as the descendants of surviving organisms filled in abandoned habitats.
The name of the Devonian Period is derived from the county of Devon, Eng. The English geologist Adam Sedgwick and the Scottish geologist Roderick Murchison proposed the designation in 1839 for the marine rocks they encountered in southwestern England, following the recognition by another British geologist, William Lonsdale, that fossil corals from Torquay in Devon seemed intermediate in type between those of the Silurian System below and those of the Lower Carboniferous System above. This led to the conclusion that the fossil corals were marine equivalents of the terrestrial Old Red Sandstone rocks already known in Wales and Scotland. The recognition that such major paleogeographic differences existed was a great scientific advance, and it was soon confirmed when Sedgwick and Murchison visited Germany and again when Murchison discovered an intercalation of Devonian marine fossils and Old Red Sandstone fishes near St. Petersburg, Russia. By 1843 American geologist and paleontologist James Hall was able to describe equivalent rocks in eastern North America, but precise correlation with European rocks was not achieved until some years later.
The Devonian environment
The physical geography of the Devonian can be reconstructed using evidence from paleomagnetism, paleoclimate, paleobiogeography, and tectonic events. Because the paleomagnetic data for the Devonian is conflicting, recent efforts to describe the positions of the continents have concentrated on the rock types associated with particular environments. Such methods focus on the distribution of evaporites, shelf carbonates, and corals because present-day deposits of these types have specific, well-known climatic constraints. Faunal distributions are also employed but to a lesser extent.
The distribution of nonmarine fish and marine invertebrate fossils demonstrates that Europe, Siberia, and the Canadian Arctic islands were linked and formed the bulk of Laurussia. During the Devonian, Asia was composed of many separate microplates that are now joined together. Of these, Siberia and Kazakhstania began fusing during the late Devonian and later joined Laurussia, forming the Ural Mountains along the junction.
There is general agreement that the paleoequator crossed the northern part of Laurussia during the Devonian. Paleomagnetic evidence, however, is not clear, and various positions for the exact placement of the paleoequator have been proposed. Though Laurussia was essentially tropical or subtropical, its climatic zones changed somewhat through the course of the Devonian as this landmass migrated northward during Late Devonian and Early Carboniferous times. Evidence for this movement includes the reduction in evaporitic environments in western Canada and the onset of humid and moist conditions in the area of New York.
The southern continents of today were united into the supercontinent of Gondwana during the Devonian approximately along the lines of their present-day continental shelf boundaries. Establishing the position of Gondwana is more difficult than for Laurussia. Some interpretations favour a wide ocean separating these two large landmasses, but this arrangement is thought to be unlikely because of the remarkable occurrences of similar corals, brachiopods, and ammonites in eastern North America, Morocco, and Spain. Yet, even if these areas were close together, their precise positioning is not certain. Based on the similarity in fossils, some researchers would place North Africa adjacent to the eastern North American seaboard during this period. The late Devonian reef developments in Western Australia suggest a near tropical site for this portion of the southern landmass. The positions of the microcontinents that later came together to form Asia are rather uncertain, but many of them probably were either attached or adjacent to the northern margin of Gondwana and migrated north to fuse with the growing area of Asia at several junctures during the later Phanerozoic Eon.
Paleomagnetic evidence is inconsistent regarding the position of the South Pole. Though some researchers postulate a location in central South America, most favour a position south of central Africa or off its southeast coast. The North Pole was in the ocean.
Though most environments present today were represented during the Devonian, evidence of glacial deposits is questionable. It is clear that if polar ice caps did exist, they were very much smaller than they are today. It is thus concluded that Earth was warmer during Devonian time than at present.
Warm and equable climates were common, as shown by the wide distribution of evaporite basins in the Northern Hemisphere, by coal deposits in Arctic Canada and Spitsbergen, and by widespread desert conditions and carbonate reefs. Devonian salt deposits indicative of high evaporation rates, and thus of high temperatures, range from western Canada to Ukraine and Siberia and are found locally in Australia. Evidence of cooler average temperatures is provided by annual tree rings in Archaeopteris trunks from New York state that record seasonal growth patterns characteristic of higher latitudes.
Studies of growth lines on Devonian corals indicate that the Devonian year was longer, about 400 days. The lunar cycle, about 301/2 days, was one day longer than it is now.
Devonian life
A highly varied invertebrate fauna that originated in the preceding Silurian Period continued in the Devonian, and most ecological niches of shallow and deep marine water were exploited. The remarkable proliferation of primitive fishes, which has given the period the name the "Age of Fishes," occurred in both fresh and marine waters. Derivation of carnivorous fishes from mud-eating forms occurred early in the period, and tetrapods (four-legged land animals) were derived from fishes near the middle of the period. Also remarkable is the rise to dominance of vascular plants. Though groves of trees must have arisen earlier to provide the widespread plant debris noted in Devonian deposits, the first known evidence of in-place forests dates from the Middle Devonian.
The Devonian invertebrates are essentially of the type established during the Ordovician Period. In nearshore sandy and silty environments, bivalves, burrowing organisms, brachiopods (lamp shells), and simple corals abounded. In offshore environments free from land detritus, biostromes and bioherms flourished, rich in corals, stromatoporoids (large colonial marine organisms similar to hydrozoans), crinoids, brachiopods, trilobites, gastropods, and other forms. In deeper waters, goniatite ammonites (a form of cephalopod), which were one of the few new groups to appear, were abundant. Surface waters were occupied by small dacryoconarids (a shelled marine invertebrate) and by ostracods (mussel shrimp) later in the period. Among the Protozoa, both Foraminifera and Radiolaria were well represented, and sponges were locally abundant.
The corals and stromatoporoids were extremely important for building reef facies. The limestone-reef and forereef facies and biostromal limestones are known in many areas of the world. The corals include tabulate corals, such as Favosites and Alveolites, but especially rugose corals (horn corals), which have been used to establish correlations. Stromatoporoids (a type of sponge with a layered skeleton composed of calcium carbonates) such as Amphipora were common rock builders in the mid-Devonian of the Northern Hemisphere. The twiglike form of Amphipora produces a "spaghetti" or "vermicelli" rock. Elsewhere, only simple corals are frequently found.
Bryozoans (marine moss animals superficially similar to corals) were especially common in shallow shelf seas of the period. Both stony and netted forms occurred, but only the latter, the fenestellids, became important during the period.
The brachiopods (lamp shells) are a group of marine filter-feeding species that bear a resemblance to clams but are not mollusks. Brachiopods were present in a multitude of diverse forms during the Devonian Period. The spire-bearing spiriferoids were perhaps the most common and have been used as index fossils. Two groups of importance emerged: the loop-bearing terebratulids and the spiny mud-dwelling productids. At the same time, a number of groups became extinct, including various orthids and the pentamerids.
Molluscan groups were well represented. The marine clams (bivalves) diversified greatly during the period, especially in the nearshore environments. The earliest freshwater bivalves appeared in the Late Devonian. The gastropods were well diversified, particularly in calcareous (calcium carbonate or limestone) environments, and became even more diversified in later periods. The Scaphopoda (tusk shells) first appeared in the Devonian Period. Another significant Devonian event was the emergence of the ammonites from their still-extant nautiloid ancestors. In the chambered shell of the ammonites, internal septa create elaborate patterns where they join the outer shell. The complexity of these suture patterns culminated in the ammonites of the Mesozoic Era. From their origin (probably in the Emsian Age) the evolution of goniatite ammonites, as well as other ammonites, allows detailed zonal subdivisions to be established until the end of the Cretaceous Period. Devonian goniatites have been found on all continents except Antarctica.
Among the arthropods, the giant eurypterids (sea scorpions) are found in the Old Red Sandstone facies. Some were predatory carnivores and probably lived on fish. The first insect, most likely a collembolan (apterygote), from a group of wingless insects that feed on leaf litter and soil, has been recorded from the Devonian Period of Russia and other areas of Asia. Ostracods (a type of crustacean) were locally very abundant; benthic (bottom-dwelling) forms occur in continental shelf sea deposits, and planktonic (floating) forms occur in the Upper Devonian, where their remains form widespread ostracod-slate facies. Trilobites were well developed in size (some up to 61 cm, or 24 inches, long), variety, and distribution. Nearly all have clearly established Silurian ancestors. The most common were the phacopids, which exhibit a curious trend toward blindness in the Late Devonian. Almost all the diverse Lower Paleozoic trilobite stocks that entered the period were extinct before the close, and only the proetaceans survived into the Carboniferous Period.
Among echinoderms, the holothureans, asteroids, and ophiuroids are known, but they are rare. Crinoids were abundant, including free-living types with grapnel-shaped anchors. The blastoids diversified considerably, but the cystoids did not survive the period.
Conodonts (recently recognized as toothlike elements of very primitive eel-like vertebrates) are abundant in many Devonian marine facies. Conodonts had perhaps their greatest diversification during the Late Devonian and are of major importance for the correlation of rock layers. More than 40 conodont zones are recognized within the Devonian, and these provide a high-resolution biostraphic framework for the period.
Many groups of Devonian fishes were heavily armoured, and this has led to their good representation in the fossil record. Fish remains are widespread in the Old Red Sandstone rocks of Europe, especially in the Welsh borderland and Scottish areas of Britain; these are mostly associated with freshwater or estuarine deposits. In other areas marine fishes are known, and some of these, such as Dunkleosteus (Dinichthys) from the Upper Devonian Period of Ohio, U.S., may have reached 9 metres (30 feet) in length.
The earliest fishes, comprising the agnathans, were without jaws and presumably were mud eaters and scavengers. These types are usually called ostracoderms. Some, such as the osteostracan cephalaspids, had broad, platelike armour of varied form; the brain and nerve structures in some of these are well known. The anaspids also were covered with armour in the form of scales. The heterostracans, which include the oldest known fishes, have an anterior armour basically of upper (dorsal) and lower (ventral) plates; Pteraspis is an example. The Early Devonian saw the entry of jawed forms or gnathostomes, and the armoured forms of these, the placoderms, characterize the epoch. The arthrodires, which had a hinged frontal armour in two portions, and the grotesque antiarchs belong here. The close of the Devonian saw the diminution and extinction of most of these groups, but several other groups continued and have a significant later history.
Sharklike fishes, the chondrichthians, have been found in the Middle Devonian. The bony fishes, or osteichthians of current classification, include the climatioid acanthodeans, which had appeared before the period began, but the lungfishes (Dipnoi), the coelacanths, and the rhipidistians made their first appearance during this time. The last group is thought to have given rise to the four-footed amphibians as well as to all other higher groups of vertebrates.
It is now known that some supposedly Silurian plants, such as those at Baragwanath, Vic., Australia, are actually from the Early Devonian. The Late Silurian record of Cooksonia fossils of the Czech Republic seems to be the earliest unquestionable evidence of vascular plants. Information on spores provided by palynologists would help determine the antecedents of the Devonian plants.
There was a remarkable initiation of diverse types of vascular plants during the Devonian, and a varied flora was established early in the period. Evidence of algae is common; bryophytes first appear, and charophytes are locally common. Freshwater algae and fungi are known in the Rhynie Chert of Scotland. The first known forests are of late Middle Devonian age.
The Psylotophytopsida is the most primitive group of the pteridophytes (ferns and other seedless vascular plants); this group did not survive the Late Devonian. Cooksonia, Rhynia, and others possessing a naked stem with terminal sporangia (spore cases) belong here. In other members, sporangia were borne laterally but no true leaves were developed, and the branching was often of a primitive dichotomous type. Psylotophytopsids form a basic stock from which other groups apparently evolved. Asteroxylon, which occurs with Rhynia, and other Rhynie plants in the Lower Old Red Sandstone Rhynie Chert of Scotland form a link with the lycopsids by having lateral sporangia and a dense leafy stem. Psylotophytopsids soon gave rise to treelike forms and later to the important lepidodendrids of the Carboniferous flora. Another apparent derivative, the sphenopsids, which has jointed branches, is represented by Hyenia and Pseudobornia. Pteropsids also appeared in the Devonian. Primitive gymnosperms are known, and trunks of Archaeopteris up to 1.8 metres (6 feet) in diameter are present in Upper Devonian deposits of the eastern United States and the Donets Basin of Russia and Ukraine. These trunks apparently were carried by water to their current positions.
The rich record of land plants may be related to the fact that the Old Red Sandstone represents the first widespread record of continental conditions. However, the primitive nature of the stocks seen and the absence of a long earlier record, even of detrital fragments of vascular plants, suggest that the colonization and exploitation of land environments were real Devonian events. Fortuitous finds, such as the silicified flora of the Rhynie Chert and the pyritized tissue from the Upper Devonian of New York, have enabled the intimate anatomy of many of these plants to be elucidated in detail equivalent to that of modern forms.
Faunal realms and migrations
There is a marked similarity in the fauna and flora of the Devonian continental facies the world over. Records from such deposits in China containing Early Devonian genera of the armoured fish Cephalaspis and Pterichthys or the widespread Australian records of Bothriolepis, a Late Devonian antiarch, correspond closely to those of the Old Red Sandstone in Europe. Yet, when studied in more detail, specific differences become apparent. It has been suggested that the Baltic fish succession is so rich that the area must have formed a migration centre. This may be so, but the wide distribution of supposed estuarine and freshwater fishes raises many problems. Many of these can be resolved if the continents were closer together during the Devonian than at present.
The marine life of the Devonian gives little evidence of faunal provinces. It is true that in the Lower Devonian the brachiopod Australocoelia has been recognized only in the Antarctic, the Falkland Islands, South America, South Africa, and Tasmania and that Australospirifer, Scaphiocoelia, and Pleurothyrella share parts of this distribution. These genera are not known in the marine Lower Devonian of northern continents and seem to establish an "austral" fauna of limited circum-Antarctic distribution at this time (if the southern continents were then united as Gondwana). Elements of this fauna are often called "Malvinokaffric" after the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands and the South African Bokkeveld Beds. At other levels in the Devonian, however, provincial distinctions are not apparent, with the exception of local coral provinces that are distinguishable in areas of Asia.
Extinction events
Throughout the Devonian there were periods of widespread hypoxic or anoxic sedimentation (that is, sedimentary events indicated that little free oxygen or no oxygen at all was dissolved in Devonian seas). Some of these are known to be periods of significant extinction, and all are associated with some faunal anomaly in marine strata. These events are named according to the taxa involved. Some are associated with very wide distribution of certain taxa, such as the Monograptus uniformis, Pinacites jugleri, and Platyclymenia annulata events. The Lower Zlichov Event is associated with the extinction of the graptoloids and the appearance of the coiled cephalopod goniatites. Three events are very significant extinction episodes: the Taghanic Event, which formerly was used to draw the boundary between the Middle and Upper Devonian, was a marked period of extinction for goniatites, corals, and brachiopods; the Kellwasser Event saw the extinction of the beloceratid and manticoceratid goniatite groups, many conodont species, most colonial corals, several groups of trilobites, and the atrypid and pentamerid brachiopods at the Frasnian-Famennian boundary; and the Hangenberg Event saw the extinction of phacopid trilobites, several groups of goniatites, and the unusual late Devonian coiled cephalopods, the clymeniids, at the end of the Famennian Stage.
Earlier, certain writers sought to link these events with thin layers of iridium, characteristic of meteorite or bolide impacts. Evidence of a bolide impact, in the form of possible impact ejecta, has been reported in Middle Devonian deposits and is associated with a pulse of extinction. An impact crater about 65 km (about 40 miles) in diameter, the Siljan structure in Sweden, has been dated to approximately 377 million years ago. This places the impact in the middle of the Frasnian stage (about 372.2 million years ago) and also within the Kellwasser extinction. Nevertheless, the connection between this impact and the Kellwasser Event is still being debated.
A stronger environmental link to Devonian extinctions involves the layers of black shale characteristic of low oxygen conditions. Environmental stress is thought to take place when high global temperatures slow the mixing rate between the ocean's surface and deeper layers. Bottom waters experience a lowered re-oxygenation rate, which may result in the extinction of many marine species. It is still debated whether these events were caused by climatic extremes caused by an increase in the amount of solar energy from the Sun, an amplified greenhouse effect, or by processes wholly confined to the Earth. For example, greater production of organic matter, perhaps owing to an increased influx of nutrients related to the colonization of landmasses by rooted plants, may have made continental seas more susceptible to anoxia.
There is also evidence that extinctions may be associated with rapid global warming or cooling. Particularly in the Late Devonian, extinction events may relate to periods of abrupt cooling associated with the development of glaciers and the substantial lowering of sea level. It has been argued that patterns of faunal change at the Kellwasser Event are consistent with global cooling.
At present it is not possible to connect Devonian extinctions definitively with any single cause, and, indeed, it is probable that extinctions may record a combination of several stresses.


text:
Hi-Polymer Refill Leads
by Pacific Arc
Pacific Arc refill leads are made from quality hi-polymer/resin. Available in HB degree, with 4 different thicknesses to choose from including .03mm, .05mm, .07mm, and .09mm. Each thickness is sold in a convenient pez style dispenser, and is color coded to help identfy each lead.
Ask a question about Hi-Polymer Refill Leads Ask a question about this product
Be the first to write a review on this product!
Please wait...
You May Also Like...
How to get VIP Club Prices
Anyone can be a VIP Member with:
Only $25/year
Your email will not be shared. We will only use your email address to respond to your question. When asking your question, please be as descriptive as possible, it will allow us to give you the most accurate answer possible.
Please wait...
Please wait...

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The World of Tibetan Buddhism (Paperback) - Selections
Various systems of thought and practice are mentioned in classical Buddhist literature. Such systems are referred to as yānas or "vehicles." There are, for instance, the various vehicles of humans and divine beings in addition to the Buddhist vehicles: the vehicle of individual liberation (hīnayāna), the vehicle of universal salvation (mahāyāna), and the vehicle of tantra (vajrayāna). In this context, vehicles of humans and divine beings refer to systems that outline the essential training and methods for both fulfilling the major aspirations of this life and, in addition, obtaining a favorable rebirth as either a human or a divine being. Such systems emphasize the importance of maintaining an ethically sound lifestyle— grounded in refraining from engaging in negative actions—since leading a life of righteousness and good behavior is perceived to be the most crucial factor for ensuring a favorable rebirth.
The Buddha also spoke of another category of vehicle, the Brahma Vehicle, comprising principally those techniques of meditation that aim at achieving the highest possible form of life within samsara, the karmically conditioned cycle of existence. Such meditative techniques include, among other things, withdrawing the mind from all external objects, which leads to a state of singlepointedness. The meditative states experienced as a result of having generated single-pointedness of mind are altered states of consciousness that, in terms of their phenomenological aspects and also their mode of engagement with objects, closely correspond to states of existence in the form and formless realms.
From a Buddhist point of view, all these diverse systems are worthy of respect since they all have the potential to bring about great benefit to a large number of sentient beings. However, this does not mean that all these systems are complete in themselves in presenting a path leading to full liberation from suffering and from the cycle of existence. Genuine freedom and liberation can only be achieved when our fundamental ignorance, our habitual misapprehension of the nature of reality, is totally overcome. This ignorance, which underlies all our emotional and cognitive states, is the root factor that binds us to the perpetual cycle of life and death in samsara. The system of thought and practice that presents a complete path towards liberation from this bondage is called the vehicle of the Buddha (buddhayāna).
Within the Buddha's Vehicle there are two major systems of thought and practice: the Individual Vehicle, or Hinayana, and the Universal Vehicle, or Mahayana. The former includes the Theravāda system, which is the predominant form of Buddhism in many Asian countries, such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, and others. In classical Buddhist literature, the Individual Vehicle is described as having two main divisions: the Hearers' Vehicle and the Solitary Realizers' Vehicle. A principal difference between the Individual Vehicle and the Universal Vehicle exists in their views on the Buddhist doctrine of selflessness and the scope of its application. The Individual Vehicle expounds the view of selflessness only in relation to person or personal identity but not in relation to things and events in general, whereas in the Universal Vehicle, the principle of selflessness is not confined to the limited scope of the person but encompasses the entire spectrum of existence, all phenomena. In other words, the Universal Vehicle system understands selflessness as a universal principle. Interpreted in this way, the principle of selflessness acquires greater profundity. According to the Universal Vehicle teachings, it is only when a practitioner's experience of selflessness is rooted in this universal interpretation that the experience will bring about the elimination of the delusions and their underlying states of ignorance. It is by eliminating these underlying states of ignorance that we are able to cut off the root of samsara. Furthermore, a profound experience of selflessness can also lead, ultimately, to full enlightenment, a state of total freedom from the subtle imprints and the obstructive habitual tendencies created by our misconception of the nature of reality. The system of thought and practice which presents such a view of selflessness is called Mahayana, the Universal Vehicle.
The Tantric Vehicle, or Vajrayana, which is considered by the Tibetan tradition to be the highest vehicle, is included within the Universal Vehicle. In addition to meditative practices for enhancing one's realization of emptiness and bodhicitta, this system also includes certain advanced techniques for utilizing the various elements of the physical body in one's meditative practice. Such feats are accomplished on the basis of sophisticated yogic practices that principally involve mentally penetrating the essential points within the body where the cakras, or energy centers, are located. By means of this subtle and refined coordination of mind and body, the practitioner is able to accelerate the process of getting at the root of ignorance and completely overcoming its effects and imprints, a process that culminates, finally, in the realization of full enlightenment. This feature—of engaging in meditative practices involving the subtle coordination of both mental and physiological elements within the practitioner—is unique to the Tantric Vehicle.
I shall now briefly explain the historical background of Buddhism as we now know it. According to the Kashmiri pandit Śākya Śrī, who came to Tibet in the early thirteenth century, the Buddha was born in India about 2,500 years ago. This accords with the standard position of the Theravāda tradition, but according to some Tibetan scholars, the Buddha appeared in the world more than 3,000 years ago. There is also a third opinion that dates the Buddha's birth to sometime in the eighth century B.C.E. When reflecting on these conflicting opinions regarding what is perhaps the most crucial date in Buddhist history, sometimes I feel that it is quite embarrassing that still no consensus exists on the key question of when the teacher Śākyamuni Buddha actually lived! I seriously think that it would be helpful if, with due respect, scientific tests were carried out on the various relics that are believed to be genuine relics of the Buddha. These relics can be found in countries like India, Nepal, and Tibet. Perhaps scientific experiments on those relics using sophisticated modern technology and chemicals could establish with greater accuracy the dates of the Buddha's existence. This would be very helpful. In the past, erudite Buddhists tried to prove their own version of the historical facts surrounding the Buddha's life mainly through logic and argumentation. Given the nature of the question, however, I think such types of proof can never be conclusive.
Despite conflicting assertions regarding the historical reckoning of his birth, there is a general consensus in the literature as to the key events of the Buddha's life. We know that the Buddha was originally an ordinary person like ourselves, with all the basic faults and weaknesses of a human being. He was born into a royal family, married, and had a son. Later, however, he came into contact with the unsatisfactory suffering nature of life in the form of unexpected encounters with people afflicted by sickness, old age, and death. Deeply disturbed by these sights, the prince eventually left the palace and renounced his comfortable and sheltered princely way of life. His initial reaction to these experiences was to adopt the austere lifestyle of an ascetic, engaging in a spiritual path involving great physical penances. Later, he discovered that the true path out of suffering lies in a middle way between the extremes of strict asceticism and self-indulgent luxury. His singleminded spiritual pursuit ultimately resulted in his full awakening, or enlightenment: buddhahood.
I feel that the story of the Buddha's life holds great significance for us. It exemplifies the tremendous potentials and capacities that are intrinsic to human existence. For me, the events that led to his full enlightenment set an appropriate and inspiring example for his followers. In short, his life makes the following statement: "This is the way that you should pursue your spiritual path. You must bear in mind that the attainment of enlightenment is not an easy task. It requires time, will, and perseverance." Therefore, right from the beginning, it is crucial to harbor no illusions of a swift and easy path. As a spiritual trainee, you must be prepared to endure the hardships involved in a genuine spiritual pursuit and be determined to sustain your effort and will. You must anticipate the multiple obstacles that you are bound to encounter along the path and understand that the key to a successful practice is never to lose your determination. Such a resolute approach is very important. The story of the Buddha's personal life, as we have seen, is the story of someone who attained full enlightenment through hard work and unwavering dedication. It is ironic that sometimes we seem to believe that we, who are following in the footsteps of the Buddha, can somehow realize full enlightenment with greater ease and less effort.
The Four Noble Truths
According to popular legend, following his full enlightenment the Buddha remained silent and did not give any teachings for forty-nine days. The first public teaching he gave was to the five ascetics who had been his colleagues when he was leading the life of a mendicant. Having realized that asceticism does not lead to freedom from suffering, the Buddha—then called Siddhārtha Gautama—had given up his penances and parted company with his fellows. His five colleagues had resented what they saw as a betrayal and vowed never to associate with him. For them, this change in Siddhārtha had indicated a failure to sustain his commitment to the life of asceticism. However, when they met him after his enlightenment, they felt spontaneously drawn toward him. It was to these five former colleagues that the Buddha gave his first public teaching at Deer Park in Sarnath.
In this discourse, which became known as the first turning of the wheel of Dharma, the Buddha taught the principles of the Four Noble Truths. As most of you might know, these Four Truths are the truth of suffering, the truth of the origin of suffering, the truth of the cessation of suffering, and the truth of the path leading to this cessation.
According to the sutra concerning the first turning, when the Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths, he taught them within the context of three factors: the nature of the truths themselves, their specific functions, and their effects, or complete attainment. The first factor describes the nature of the individual truths. The second explains the importance of comprehending the specific significance of each for the practitioner: namely, suffering must be recognized, and its origin, eliminated; and the cessation of suffering must be actualized, and the path to cessation, realized. In the context of the third factor, the Buddha explained the ultimate result, or complete attainment, of the Four Noble Truths—that is, the completed recognition of suffering, the completed abandonment of the origin of suffering, the completed realization of the cessation of suffering, and the completed actualization of the path to cessation. I personally find the teaching on the Four Noble Truths to be very profound. This teaching lays down the blueprint for the entire body of Buddhist thought and practice, thus setting up the basic framework of an individual's path to enlightenment. I shall elaborate on this further.
What we desire and seek is to have happiness and overcome suffering. This yearning to have happiness and avoid pain and suffering is innate to all of us and needs no justification for its existence or validity. However, happiness and suffering do not arise from nowhere. They arise as consequences of causes and conditions. In brief, the doctrine of the Four Noble Truths states the principle of causality. Keeping this crucial point in mind, I sometimes remark that all of Buddhist thought and practice can be condensed into the following two principles: (1) adopting a world view that perceives the interdependent nature of phenomena, that is, the dependently originated nature of all things and events, and (2) based on that, leading a non-violent and non-harming way of life.
Buddhism advocates the conduct of non-violence on the basis of two simple and obvious premises: (1) as sentient beings, none of us wants suffering, and (2) suffering originates from its causes and conditions. The Buddhist teachings further assert that the root cause of our pain and suffering lies in our own ignorant and undisciplined state of mind. Therefore, if we do not desire suffering, the logical step to take is to refrain from destructive actions, which naturally lead to consequent experiences of pain and suffering. Pain and suffering do not exist in isolation; they come about as the results of causes and conditions. It is in understanding the nature of suffering and its relation to causes and conditions that the principle of dependent origination plays a crucial role. In essence, the principle of dependent origination states that an effect is dependent upon its cause. So, if you don't want the result, you should strive to put an end to its cause.
Within the Four Truths, we find two distinct sets of cause and result operating: suffering is the result, and the origin of suffering is its cause; in like manner, the true cessation of suffering is peace, the result, and the path leading to it is the cause of that peace.
The happiness we seek, a genuine lasting peace and happiness, can be attained only through the purification of our minds. This is possible if we cut the root cause of all suffering and misery— our fundamental ignorance. This freedom from suffering, the true cessation, can come about only when we have successfully seen through the illusion created by our habitual tendency to grasp at the intrinsic existence of phenomena and, thereby, gained insight that penetrates into the ultimate nature of reality. To attain this, however, the individual must perfect the three higher trainings. The training in insight, or wisdom, acts as the actual antidote to ignorance and its derivative delusions. However, it is only when training in higher insight is conjoined with a highly developed faculty of single-pointedness of the mind that all of one's energy and mental attention can be focused on a chosen object of meditation without distraction. Hence, the training in higher concentration is an indispensable factor in advanced stages of application of the wisdom gained through insight. However, in order for both the trainings in higher concentration and higher insight to be successful, the practitioner must first establish a stable foundation of morality by adopting an ethically sound way of life.
The Three Higher Trainings
Just as there are three types of higher trainings: in ethics, concentration, and wisdom, the Buddhist scriptures fall into three main divisions: discipline, sets of discourses, and metaphysical knowledge. When one is able to undertake a genuine practice of these three trainings, based on the study of the three scriptural collections, and to impart the same to others, it can truly be said that one is upholding the Buddhadharma. The need to engage in these three higher trainings is equal for both men and women. In terms of the importance of study and practice, no distinctions can be made among practitioners on the basis of gender. However, there are certain differences in the monastic rules of ethical training depending on the gender of the practitioner.
The basic foundation of the practice of morality is to refrain from ten unwholesome actions: three pertaining to the body, four pertaining to speech, and three pertaining to thought.
The three physical non-virtues are: (1) killing: intentionally taking the life of a living being, whether a human being, an animal, or even an insect; (2) stealing: taking possession of another's property without his or her consent, regardless of its value; and (3) sexual misconduct: committing adultery. The four verbal non-virtues are: (4) lying: deceiving others through spoken word or gesture; (5) divisiveness: creating dissension by causing those in agreement to disagree or those in disagreement to disagree further; (6) harsh speech: verbally abusing others; and (7) senseless speech: talking about foolish things motivated by desire and so forth. The three mental non-virtues are: (8) covetousness: desiring to possess something that belongs to someone else; (9) harmful intent: wishing to injure others, whether in a great or small way; and (10) wrong view: holding that such things as rebirth, the law of cause and effect, or the Three Jewels do not exist. The morality practiced by a spiritual trainee in the context of explicitly adopting a certain ethical way of life in the form of precepts is known as the discipline of individual liberation, or prātimokṣa.
In terms of the nature and specific enumeration of the precepts, four major traditions emerged in ancient India and later branched into eighteen sub-schools. Each of the four main branches had its own version of the Individual Liberation Sutra (Prātimokṣasūtra)—the traditional record of the Buddha's disciplinary advice that enumerates the ethical precepts and lays down the basic guidelines for a monastic life. The system of monasticism and its underlying ethical rules practiced in the Tibetan tradition is that of Mūlasarvāstivādin school. According to the Individual Liberation Sutra of this school, which is in Sanskrit, there are 253 precepts for a fully ordained monk and 364 for a fully ordained nun. This differs from the Theravāda tradition in which the Pali version of the Individual Liberation Sutra lists 227 precepts for a monk and 311 for a nun.
The practice of morality—guarding your three doors of body, speech, and mind from indulging in unwholesome activities— equips you with mindfulness and conscientiousness. These two faculties help you avoid gross forms of negative physical and verbal actions, deeds that are destructive for both oneself and others. Therefore, morality is the foundation of the Buddhist path.
The second phase is meditation, or training in higher concentration. When we talk about meditation in the general Buddhist sense, there are two principal types—absorptive and analytical. The first, absorptive meditation, refers primarily to the meditative states of tranquil abiding and the various meditative practices integrally associated with this state. The main characteristics of this type of meditation are the feature of single-pointedness of mind and the absorptive quality that it generates. Analytical meditation, on the other hand, refers to meditative states that are more probing in terms of their mode of engagement with the object of meditation. It also includes the practices that are not characterized by mere single-pointedness of mind but are primarily associated with deeper analysis. Nevertheless, in both cases it is vital to have a stable foundation of mindfulness and alertness— faculties that originate, as we have seen, from a sound practice of ethical discipline. Even on the mundane level of our everyday life, the importance of mindfulness and alertness should not be underestimated.
To summarize, when we engage in the practice of morality, we lay the foundation for mental and spiritual development. When we engage in the complementary practice of concentration, we make the mind serviceable for and receptive to this higher purpose and prepare the mind for subsequent higher training in insight, or wisdom. With the faculty of single-pointedness that arises from concentration, we are able to channel all of our attention and mental energy towards a chosen object. Then, on the basis of a very stable state of mind, you can generate genuine insight into the ultimate nature of reality. Such penetrative insight into selflessness is the sole direct antidote to ignorance, as it alone is capable of eradicating our fundamental misknowing, or ignorance, together with the various deluded cognitive and afflictive emotional states arising from it.
The Thirty-Seven Aspects of the Path to Enlightenment
The general structure of the Buddhist path is outlined in the first turning of the wheel of Dharma in terms of the thirty-seven aspects of the path to enlightenment. They are divided into seven categories. First are the four mindfulnesses, referring to mindfulness of body, feelings, mind, and phenomena. Mindfulness here refers to contemplative practices that focus on the fundamentally unsatisfactory nature of samsara and on the transitoriness of this conditioned existence, the perpetual cycles of our habitual patterns of thought and behavior. It is by means of such reflections that the practitioner develops a true determination to become free from the cycle of conditioned existence.
Next are the four complete abandonments. These are so named because as practitioners develop a heart-felt determination to be free through their practice of the four mindfulnesses, they engage in a way of life in which they abandon the causes of future suffering and cultivate the causes of future happiness. Hence, the four abandonments are: (1) abandonment of unwholesome thoughts and actions already generated; (2) nongeneration of unwholesome thoughts and actions not yet generated; (3) enhancement of wholesome thoughts and actions already generated; and (4) generation of wholesome thoughts and actions not yet generated.
Since you can overcome negative actions and their motivating afflictive emotions and increase the positive factors in your mind—technically called the class of pure phenomena—it is only when your mind is very concentrated that there follow what are known as the four factors of miraculous powers. These four factors are related to the practice of developing one's faculty of single-pointedness. They are also known as the four "legs" because they are the prerequisite factors that enable a practitioner to achieve the single-pointed states of mind that serve as the bases for supernatural manifestations. These four are the miraculous powers of aspiration, effort, intention, and analysis.
The fourth category consists of the five faculties, and the fifth category, of the five powers. In both categories, the list is identical: confidence, joyous effort, mindfulness, single-pointedness, and intelligence. In the present context, the distinction between a faculty and a power depends upon the practitioner's level of fluency in that particular skill; at a sufficiently advanced stage of fluency, a faculty becomes a power.
Next come the seven branches of the path to enlightenment: perfect mindfulness, perfect analysis, perfect effort, perfect joy, perfect pliancy, perfect meditative stabilization, and perfect equanimity.
The seventh and final category is the noble eightfold path: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right meditative stabilization.
This, then, is the general structure of the Buddhist path as put forth in the first turning of the wheel of Dharma by the Buddha. Buddhism as practiced in the Tibetan tradition completely incorporates all these features of the Buddhist doctrine.
How to cite this document:
© Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, The World of Tibetan Buddhism (Wisdom Publications, 1995)
The World of Tibetan Buddhism by The Dalai Lama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at http://www.wisdompubs.org/book/world-tibetan-buddhism-paperback.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.wisdompubs.org/terms-use.


text:
We won't end up that high ** -- darkstar 02/17/2017 12:18PM
Bracketology has us as a 4 seed in Milwaukee with 5 seed Wiscy -- chanman66 02/17/2017 11:05AM
Seems weird that bracketology exists when committee is now -- ryno hoo 02/17/2017 11:53AM
I hope they stop releasing the actual info -- KCHoo 02/17/2017 12:45PM
They are only doing it once (unfortunately) so it is static and dated -- Diehl 02/17/2017 3:15PM
+1 ** -- ThatDadgumBiscuit 02/17/2017 2:15PM
Agree. Don't like it at all. ** -- ryno hoo 02/17/2017 1:46PM
We are totally going to get matched with Wisconsin or Purdue in 2nd Rnd. -- Guy Caballero 02/17/2017 11:48AM
I like since I have tickets for MKE NCAA, but don't think we get 4 seed -- orangenblue 02/17/2017 11:38AM
Probably need to win one of two vs UNC to hold onto 4 seed or better ** -- HOOSNICE 02/17/2017 12:53PM
More I look at it, this thing is a dream! -- Haney 02/17/2017 11:31AM
Second round: -- Seattle Hoo 02/17/2017 11:33AM
Yes, please. I heard Happ got doubled and was totally shut down. -- Haney 02/17/2017 11:21AM
Re: Bracketology has us as a 4 seed in Milwaukee with 5 seed Wiscy -- builtbadgers 02/17/2017 11:11AM
I disagree -- Seattle Hoo 02/17/2017 11:14AM
You mean like #1 seed having to face Iowa St/Mich St last year in Chicago? ** -- HOOSNICE 02/17/2017 11:34AM
Re: I disagree -- builtbadgers 02/17/2017 11:26AM
Re: I disagree -- Seattle Hoo 02/17/2017 11:31AM
Three years in a row in the same region as Michigan State -- HOOfan_1 02/17/2017 11:28AM
Vvv - what he said - vvv** -- Trigon 02/17/2017 1:10PM
It was no coincidence the second and third time in row it happened ** -- HOOSNICE 02/17/2017 11:35AM
Protection for top-4 seeds is a pretty big rule, though. -- HooShotYa 02/17/2017 11:21AM
Um, see last year. Our #1 seed was not protected like you say ** -- HOOSNICE 02/17/2017 11:36AM
The committee loves a story- CTB vs. the program his dad built -- chanman66 02/17/2017 11:18AM
They're beatable ** -- Hooddihsm 02/17/2017 11:11AM


text:
30 in 30: Youthful core will be key for Oilers in 2013-14by Brian Compton
Seven years have passed since the Edmonton Oilers made that memorable run to Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final before falling short against the Carolina Hurricanes. Nobody at the time could have thought it would mark the beginning of a long postseason drought.
The Oilers improved last season (19-22-7), but it wasn't enough to save the jobs of either general manager Steve Tambellini or coach Ralph Krueger.
Craig MacTavish, who won the Stanley Cup three times in Edmonton as a player, was named GM on April 15. MacTavish fired Krueger on June 8, and Dallas Eakins, an up-and-comer in the eyes of many, was hired two days later to coach this young, talented group. Eakins is the Oilers' fourth coach in five seasons.
"The No. 1 thing we're going to be committed to is competition. If you're going to play for the Edmonton Oilers, you're going to compete," Eakins said when he was introduced as coach June 10. "That's how you win games in the NHL and that's how you make your organization better."
Eakins, 46, spent the past four seasons as coach of the Toronto Marlies in the American Hockey League, compiling a record of 157-114-4. The Marlies made the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, including a trip to the Calder Cup Final in 2012. That season, the Marlies set franchise records for penalty-killing percentage (88.1), fewest power-play goals allowed (37), fewest penalty minutes (1,134) and fewest goals allowed (175).
An assistant coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2006-08, Eakins reportedly also interviewed this summer for coaching vacancies with the Dallas Stars, New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks and Colorado Avalanche, a testament to how strongly he was viewed around the NHL.
"I coached against him two years ago when I was the head coach of the [AHL] Chicago Wolves," MacTavish said at Eakins' introduction. "I was impressed by his team and how well the team competed. They were ready to go right at the opening faceoff. I haven't seen a team that well-prepared in a long time.
"He has all the great qualities you look for in a coach. He has great perspective and is unflappable under pressure. I'm extremely confident in this man's ability."
MacTavish, who was intent on being active this summer, spent the majority of July revamping the Oilers' roster.
Perhaps his biggest move came July 10, when he traded forward Magnus Paajarvi and a second-round pick in the 2014 NHL Draft to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for left wing David Perron, who has been placed in a position to thrive alongside a plethora of young, talented forwards.
"He's just got an incredible skill set … a great set of hands," MacTavish said of Perron. "He's a pretty gritty player as well. He'll go to the areas necessary to score goals. On the outside, I feel like he's a really good fit for our team and the way that we play. There will be more attack opportunities for him, more rush opportunities. I think we potentially could be a better fit for his skill set than the team that he comes from."
Perron wasn't the only addition made by MacTavish this summer. Edmonton also landed a needed veteran presence on its blue line when it signed 34-year-old defenseman Andrew Ference to a four-year contract on the opening day of free agency. Ference, who grew up an Oilers fan in nearby Sherwood Park, Alberta, has appeared in 760 regular-season games and another 120 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He helped the Boston Bruins win the Cup in 2011 and return to the Final this spring, and said he believes his hometown club is on the verge of something special.
Additions: D Andrew Ference, D Denis Grebeshkov, G Richard Bachman, G Jason LaBarbera, F Ryan Hamilton, F Jesse Joensuu, LW David Perron, C Boyd Gordon, D Philip Larsen
Subtractions: F Magnus Paajarvi, F Shawn Horcoff, G Nikolai Khabibulin, D Theo Peckham
UFAs: D Ryan Whitney, G Yann Danis, D Mark Fistric, LW Darcy Hordichuk, LW Lennart Petrell, D Andy Sutton
Promotion candidates: D Oscar Klefbom, C Anton Lander
"Everybody now talks about Boston as so mature and battle-tested with all the playoff experience," Ference said. "But when I went there, it was a bunch of guys with no playoff experience and a team that hadn't been in the playoffs for a number of years. You realize how to build on potential and how the tide can turn fairly quickly.
"You look at [the Oilers] and how close the team is to getting over that hump. It's exciting. To see potential turn into reality is something I want to be a part of, especially in a city like this that cares so much."
Crafty center Sam Gagner landed the long-term contract he was seeking from the Oilers when he agreed to a three-year deal worth a reported $14.4 million July 22. Gagner, 23, ranked second on the club last season with 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists) in 48 games. Gagner's presence will be vital when training camp begins; No. 1 center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is working his way back from shoulder surgery, a nagging injury that limited the gifted 20-year-old to four goals and 20 assists in 40 games last season. The Oilers are hopeful Nugent-Hopkins, the No. 1 pick of the 2011 NHL Draft, will be able to play when the season begins Oct. 1, though that is far from a guarantee.
Denis Grebeshkov will be making his return to Edmonton's blue line after the defenseman signed a one-year contract July 18. Grebeshkov, who had 76 points in 190 games for the Oilers from 2007-10, spent the past three seasons playing in his native Russia. A first-round pick (Los Angeles Kings, No. 18, 2002), Grebeshkov is solid at both ends of the ice and will help shore up the blue line. He also will help fill the void left by Ryan Whitney, who became an unrestricted free agent this summer after Oilers brass opted not to re-sign him.
Also joining the mix are goaltenders Richard Bachman and Jason LaBarbera, who will compete for the backup position behind incumbent starter Devan Dubnyk after the latter posted a 2.57 goals-against average and .920 save percentage in 38 games last season.
The newest Oilers will join a mix that includes No. 1 picks Taylor Hall (2010) and Nail Yakupov (2012), and Jordan Eberle, a 23-year-old forward with 50 goals during the past two seasons. Defenseman Justin Schultz, who signed as a free agent last summer after opting not to join the Anaheim Ducks (who drafted him in the second round in 2008), had 27 points in 48 games as a rookie.
It will be up to Eakins to find a way to get all this talent to work as a cohesive unit. Should he be successful, the Stanley Cup Playoff drought may come to an end.
"Just being talented is not enough," Eakins said. "I want our players to be so fit that if I ask a player to play 26 minutes a night, he can play 26 minutes at a high level. That's something I'm extremely passionate about it. It's going to be a challenge for some, but it's non-negotiable."
For all 30 in 30 stories go to NHL.com/30in30stories and for the full 30 in 30 schedule visit NHL.com/30in30.


text:
About Us
Our History
Our Structure
NSDO Board
Our Policies
Our Procedures
Create a Standard
Project Proposal Form
Proposal Form Review
Establishment of Committee of Stakeholders
Standard Prepared by Committee
Public Comments
Committee Review
Committee Votes on standard
Approval by NSDO SDC
Standard Published
Standard Maintenance
Pre-Determined Revision
Proposal for Early Revision
Contact Us
Establishment of Committee of Stakeholders
There are two ways a committee can be appointed to develop the proposed Standard (project):
Member Login
Remember Login
Retrieve Password
Contact Us
ts that can come for your requirements inside sheep's garments yet inwardly they may be ravening baby wolves. � The particular apostles furthermore informed
nike roshe run hombre
ice concerning frequently around the pavement regarding Altlanta ga. Immediately we all consider disgrace and also disapproval
asics pas cher
proximity. Get rid of care-free hazy days to weeks connected with summer months although some sort of get back to classes. Get bac
nike air max 90 baratas
person which includes individuals inside Huntsville received inside the "old nights? inches Properly they may be nonetheless used sometimes
nike air max pas cher
reconditioned their particular endeavours to discover a treatment regarding HIV/AIDS. As an example California�s stem-cell organization provides fully commited
zapatillas padel asics
souri Sport Payment: Residents pressed to stop waterfront coupled Pennypack Creek until eventually even more notice---- Doctor. Wal
mbt sko udsalg
in wholeness all of us learn how to talk in the center. Whenever associations require all of us to tell the truth all of us discuss
air max outlet
y just yelling for getting external! That few days you could start to scalp outdoor to help digest many healthy Vitamin supplements Debbie on the so
asics baratas
spot you possibly can reinvigorate ones fitness/wellness approach by removing the item external with among several other useful in addi
asics gel kayano
too long ago reprehended excess fat those who persist they can not shed weight it doesn't matter what they will carry out flaunted the girl well toned bronze h
new balance madrid
e of their total diverse products and solutions when it comes to critique. Now most people is going to take into consideration its s
asics running pas cher
ong with Elimination (CDC) propose you have your current flu picture after your 2011-2012 vaccine can be purchased. On the othe
asics running
ually wherever you may travel in March fourth of july. The most important perhaps the protesting what food was in solidarity which has a country wide
nike roshe run baratas
ishes? Properly these guidelines will allow you to carry out exactly that. Good diet is not only any make a difference regarding picking fantastic refre
cheap asics
s Lisa Brown-HallBaltimore houses on the list of country ohydrates major out-of-doors skill festivals- Artscape. The presentation develops from the locati
asics dk
preference for paying out in the sack utilizing their soulmates rather then benefiting from roses when shows while in the Valentine's. He
nike roshe run hombre
to it�s have you been. You will find poisons within the atmosphere pesticides within our meals and also the financial crisis simp
asics onitsuka tiger
an subject to send back for you to their initial variety immediately after staying bias condensed as well as worked out. For individuals
nike free run 5.0 dam
ake and also sworn away from smoking cigarettes you could consider fizzy food items being a risk-free healthful replacement. To


text:
Matthew D'Oyly, who is residential life coordinator in Kollen Hall at Hope College and assisting producing director with Hope Summer Repertory Theatre (HSRT), has been named recipient of the college's 11th annual "Vanderbush-Weller Development Fund" award for strong, positive impact on students.
Matthew D'Oyly, who is residential life coordinator in Kollen Hall at Hope College and assisting producing director with Hope Summer Repertory Theatre (HSRT), has been named recipient of the college's 11th annual "Vanderbush-Weller Development Fund" award for strong, positive impact on students.
The award recognizes and supports the efforts of Hope faculty and staff who make extraordinary contributions to the lives of students. D'Oyly will be honored during a dinner on Thursday, May 6, held in conjunction with the spring meeting of the college's Board of Trustees.
"Matt has been a dynamic source of energy these past five years as he has engaged students, ideas and opportunities on Hope's campus. Over this time, Matt has become well known for his many talents, creativity and passion for people," said Dr. Richard Frost, vice president and dean of students at Hope, whose office coordinates the award, which is presented based on nominations from the campus community. "We are deeply appreciative for all that he has given the Hope community."
D'Oyly first became a member of the Hope community in 2002 as a student intern with HSRT while pursuing his undergraduate degree in theatre technical design at Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio. He was prompted to seek his academic-year position in residence life in 2005, while finishing his master's in education in college student affairs leadership from GrandValley State University. Based on his positive experience with HSRT, he wanted to find a way to continue to work at Hope and live in West Michigan, having been raised in Grand Haven.
In addition to his work in Kollen Hall specifically, he has been active in the student life program at Hope in multiple ways, has sung in Vespers and other performances with the College Chorus, and can often be heard singing the National Anthem at HopeCollege sporting events.
Recently, he was given the honor of being elected as an honorary member of the Emersonian Fraternity, of which he is the advisor. He has also served as the advisor for the Inter-Fraternity Council and the award-winning "Milestone" yearbook, a judge for both the college's annual Pull and Nykerk Cup competitions, the chair of the development and training committee for residential life and housing, and as coordinator of the alcohol-education programs. In 2008, he was invited to present his alcohol campaign initiatives at the American College Personnel Association's National Conference in Atlanta, Ga.
D'Oyly advises the mascot program at Hope, and is frequently seen with the Hope mascot "Dutch" at campus and community events. He served as an NCAA ambassador for when Hope hosted the Division III final four in women's basketball in 2008 and 2009. He was integral in the inaugural year production staff of the Richard and Helen DeVos Fieldhouse and has created many other initiatives to connect the college with students and increase productivity among the residential life staff.
As assistant producing director, he is active in a variety of aspects of the management of HSRT, which stages multiple productions for adults and children both on campus and in the community between June and August. In April 2008 he accompanied the college's students and provided staff support when the department of theatre's production of "Rose and the Rime" was selected for presentation during the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (ACTF) National Festival in Washington, D.C.
D'Oyly is also a graphic designer designing logos, posters and t-shirts for many local organizations. Due to his passion for the arts, Matthew was instrumental in establishing the Mona Shores Choir Fund through the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. In August, he will start his appointment on the Otterbein College Alumni board.
The "Vanderbush-Weller Development Fund" was established in honor of longtime Hope professor and football coach Alvin Vanderbush, who retired in 1972 and died on Feb. 20, 2005. It was created by Ken and Shirely Weller of Pella, Iowa. Ken Weller is one of Vanderbush's former players and also a former Hope faculty colleague.


text:
There's good news and bad news. It was some of the bad news that prompted this posting.
There is an unwarranted degree of precision in the book - the recipe that calls for 1lb 8 3/4 oz of mushrooms, for example. That is as a result of a slavish and direct conversion from the metric measurement (700 gm) to imperial measure.
So, how much does that 3/4 oz actually matter? I am sure not much - although I haven't made the dish. When is a measurement really a guideline, and how can you tell? That's a conundrum, so I will try to sort it out - or at least talk about how I pay attention.
- Ask why there are fiddly bits at the ends of the measurements? Like the 3/4 oz at the end of the mushrooms. If it looks to be a critical ratio item (flour/fat/water in a bakers recipe, then obey it)
- If the recipe has (obviously) been converted from the metric system to imperial, you could do the conversion mentally and see if it started as round number (25/50/75/100 gm endings). If so, then there's a decent chance that as long as you are not baking you can round off the lb/oz amounts.
- Be careful with strong flavorings (herbs and spices especially) rounding can throw flavors off, so round down and adjust after tasting.
- Be careful with anything that is in a smallish quantity (salt/yeast/pepper...) again that can throw off the balance/effect of the dish. Seasoning is always to taste - most of us under season, but again be careful
The good news is that the author uses words like scant and generous to indicate the precision required for many items that are measured by volume. So you know that a scant cup of stock is about a cup but likely to be a bit less. That's a definite clue that you can wing it.
While I am talking about the book, there are a few "duh" moments. First the book starts with sauces. So important to French cuisine, so neglected by most of us. So it is good to have the sauces lumped (no not lumpy!) together so they are easy to find. However, that is a bit of a double edged sword because there are recipes that point you to several other sub-recipes. For example the "Candlemas Rolls" recipe looks like it has 6 ingredients, but 2 of the ingredients are actually complete recipes in their own right. So when doing the recipe for the first time, you need to have bookmarks in several places. I guess the author thought of this - the book comes with 2 built-in bookmark ribbons.
There are some interesting subtelties. For example when making a ham souffle, the oven is set to a constant 400F, while the cheese souffle starts at 350F for a while and then the oven temperature is raised to 425 for the last 15 minutes. The reasons are that the number of eggs and the ratio of eggs to bechamel sauce is different and that the cheese incorprates into the sauce while the ham doesn't. You would think that the same recipe base would work for both kinds of souffle (but it doesn't!). You need to get more lift before the browning stops the expansion wuth the cheeses version, I presume. It's things like this that can make French cooking intimidating - the patterns are not obvious. It's also this kind of attention to detail - and figuring what's important that seperates good cooking from excellent cooking.


text:
"Twilight" star Ashley Greene has adopted two new puppies, three months after one of her beloved dogs died in a fire at her California condo.
The actress, her brother and a male friend escaped unhurt from the Los Angeles property, but one of the star's two dogs died of its injuries.
Greene put her grief behind her on Thursday when she picked up two puppies at Los Angeles' Spot Rescue center, and she shared a photo of her new pets on Instagram, writing, "Today felt like a great day to rescue a puppy. … Or two! I couldn't take a brother without his sister!"
The actress has called one of the pooches Ralph, but has yet to find a name for the other dog.


text:
Summer in Seward Park - Pop-Up Yoga NYC
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
This event repeats every week on Tuesday and Thursday between 7/9/2013 and 8/1/2013.
Please note: This event has already taken place. Please use the Search options on the right to find upcoming events.
Join us for a meditative end to the day. Open level Vinyasa style. BYOM (bring your own mat) and let your stress melt away.
At the volleyball court.


text:
Hall of Famer Bud Moore Exemplifies Spirit of Service
Last week, Bristol Motor Speedway officials announced a ticket initiative that provides people the chance to send members of our military to the race in honor of all the men and women of our military have done and continue to do for our country.
Following is a story on NASCAR Legend Bud Moore. We thank Moore and the others who came back … and remember those who didn't. And we thank the millions who have and continue to serve to provide freedom in the greatest country in the world ...
June 6, 2012 is the 68th Anniversary of Operation Overlord, the official name of what most know better, simply, as D-Day. Every year, we lose more and more of those who were involved, not just in D-Day, but other pivotal battles in history that preserved the principals on which our country was founded. So it is up to us to remember and appreciate the contribution of these individuals. Some may hesitate to call them heroes. We don't.
Walter "Bud" Moore sits on the couch in the living room of his home in Spartanburg, S.C., in front of a collection of just some of the more than 70 trophies his race teams earned during his 40-year career as car owner in NASCAR Cup Trans-Am racing.
Moore's transformation from "country mechanic" to mastermind of most things motorized earned him a place as one of the first 10 individuals inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
"That's not all of them," Moore says pointing at the various awards lining the shelves. "The Hall of Fame has a bunch of them on display up there (in Charlotte, N.C.)."
Moore's success cemented his inclusion into the sport's shrine long time. Starting his career as crew chief for legendary driver -- and recent inductee -- Buck Baker, before launching Bud Moore Engineering in the early 1960s, at least half of the drivers already named to the Hall drove for Moore during their careers.
Slightly to the right of the shelves of motorsports momentos, situated on the wall under the pictures of Moore and his family taken on the night of his induction, are a handful of what, at first glance, appear to be innocuous documents framed for nothing more than posterity.
Closer inspection of the yellowing paper reveal framed reminders of two heroic years spent doing unthinkable duty when victory meant – not a champagne-and-trophy celebration – but a chance to fight another day.
Years after retiring from the daily grind of running a race team, Moore is as well-known around parts of his hometown of Spartanburg as he is in the NASCAR garage area. Walking into the Peach Blossom Diner he is greeted with hellos and hugs and his drink gets to his table, same one each time, almost before he pulls up a chair.
Moore takes his seat with his back to a wall that is home to artwork depicting his past.
Nearly 70 years ago, he was just a kid wondering about his future.
"I turned 18, May 25, 1943," Moore says. "June 1, I graduated high school, and June 2, I think -- it may have been a couple of days later than that, but not much --my draft papers hit the mailbox."
The United States was 19 months into the Second World War, and now Moore was going to play a role.
"We had to report down to Camp Croft (a military training center in Spartanburg) to get all checked out and figure out what branch of service we were going to wind up in," Moore says. "Now (NASCAR Hall-of-Famer) Cotton Owens and Joe Eubanks and I were big buddies. We would run together. Shoot, we had run together since we were kids. Well, Cotton and Joe already were in the Navy so I told the guy there I was talking to I wanted to go in the Navy because I already had some friends in there."
Moore smiles slightly, recalling, "This guy asks me if I had a college education." Moore shakes his head a little and chuckles. "I thought, 'Man, I just turned 18 and graduated high school a couple of weeks ago; how would I have a college education?' So I said, 'No sir.' Well, he told me that at that time the Navy was only taking ones with a college education, and that he thought I would make a good Marine. I said, 'No thanks,' and went over the Army guy and said, "I want to be in the Army."
And so he was.
After a time a Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C., Moore was shipped to Camp Van Dorn in South Central Mississippi for 13 weeks of training. "I left there on Dec. 23 or Dec. 24, I don't remember exactly," Moore says. "I had seven days to get home and see everyone, and then I had to be in Fort Dix, N.J., Jan. 2. I was in Fort Dix a few weeks and then the middle of March they put us on this British liberty (cargo) ship and shipped us out.
"It took us 14 days to get to Liverpool, England. We zigzagged you know, kind of back and forth. That's why it took us so long. Man, I don't know how many of us were on that ship, but boy there was a bunch, I know that."
He had not seen anything yet.
Upon arriving in England, Moore set about trying to connect with family. His grandmother on his father's side of the clan came from across the pond and many of her relatives still were residents of the United Kingdom.
"We were just down the road from Knighton Wales and that's where my grandmother's family was," Moore says. "I wanted a pass to go see them. I tried everything I could, went to everyone I knew, even went to the regimental commander and couldn't get a pass. We were just down the road. I couldn't understand why in the world I couldn't get a pass."
Moore shrugs his shoulders in a foreshadowing gesture, and says, "See, what we didn't know was we were restricted."
In retrospect, the reason is obvious. Moore, his buddies and a myriad more were part of the largest military force in the world, just weeks away from the biggest land and sea invasion in the history of the world.
Moore, who had been trained as a first gunner on a .30 caliber weapon, says by early May he noticed things happening.
"They started showing up and waterproofing our Jeeps," Moore says. "They put pipe and hose here and there, around the carburetor and did things like covering the spark plugs with a tacky putty. They told us we were preparing for a dry-run landing somewhere on the English coast. We didn't know anything beyond that."
Days drug along. But something was in the air. He just didn't know what exactly.
"June 1 or June 2, I am not sure, they moved us on to our landing craft," Moore shakes his head and, for emphasis, he throws out another fact. "LC 149 was the number. I never will forget that number. We were on that LC all that night all the next day and then they moved us from the harbor to out in the English Channel.
"Once we got out in the channel, I looked around and there were four or five thousand ships. I don't know, but they were everywhere you looked, and in every direction you looked. I had never seen anything like it and I looked at some of my buddies and said, 'Boys, I don't know what's going on, but this ain't no dry run. I'll tell you that right now!' "
Moore's prediction soon would take shape, and there would be nothing dry about any of it.
"The next day, a PT boat pulled up and two guys got out and came on board," Moore says. "They got up in front of everybody and had this big old map. I looked around and said, 'Boys, that's no English Coast; that's France. I can tell that from looking."
The map laid out the plans of the invasion of France, no dry-run exercise on English soil, but an all-out assault to turn back the Axis Powers. Moore rewound the last few weeks: the continuous rejections of his requests to go see his ancestors; the waterproofing of the equipment. The powers that be were trying to keep a lid on the biggest pressure cooker in the European Theater.
"We were supposed to head out June 4, but the weather was bad so they called it off, and we just sat there. The night of June 5, around 7 or 8 p.m., that PT boat came back, and they said we were back on. We were hitting the beach around 5 am. So off we went."
Matter of fact. Just like that. "Off we went." Moore never pulled punches. No reason to start now.
"About 3:30 or 4 a.m., somewhere around there, those big 16-inch guns opened up firing on that beach and everything around it. For an hour or more; just constant. I mean you wouldn't believe it. I told the boys beside me, I said, 'Boys, this is going to be a piece of cake. They ain't gonna be anything moving over there when these guns get done…'" Moore noticeably pauses.
"How wrong I was."
A 50-mile stretch of the French Coast at Normandy was the target and the Allies under Supreme Commander Dwight David Eisenhower were throwing everything they had at it and more.
Divided into five beach sections, Moore's division was part of the initial wave set to storm Utah Beach.
"The landing craft was supposed to pull up into knee-deep water, drop the gate and we go. Well, the pilot of our craft got scared and stopped too soon. We head out of there and water is up almost over everyone's head."
The angular Moore sits up straight and places his paw at his chin.
"I just barely could keep my head above water. I had this 51-pound tripod and all this gear on my back."
It is hard to imagine today, that morning off the coast of France so long ago. Ears ringing from an hour-plus concert of heavy shelling, legs weak from being stationed for days on a landing craft, and being dumped in salt water humping more than half one's own weight.
For a moment, it appeared as if Moore's contribution to the liberation of France would end before he ever got to dry land. Barely two weeks after his 19th birthday he was over his head in the salt water of the English Channel wondering if he was going to live out the hour.
"I hadn't taken more than a couple of steps in that water and I stepped in a big shell hole," he says. "I went down and I was about to drown if you want to know the truth about it. I came up spitting and blowing, just trying to breath. I decided right then I was going to take the straightest path in the straightest direction toward that beach. I got there and hunkered down behind a sand dune still coughing and throwing up salt water. You wouldn't believe how many boys drowned."
That seems to trigger something in Moore. As detailed as his narration has been, he offers little detail about what he experienced – and witnessed – on that beach. His story jumps ahead five hours.
"Anyway, around 11 or 11:30, we had moved in a mile to a mile-and-a-half. I don't know. It would have been a lot worse for us if we had not missed our landing area by three-quarters of a mile to a mile. I think as bad as it was, it would have been worse."
Moore sits back into the couch and sighs audibly.
"It was something."
As part of Patton's 3rd Army, once Moore's division moved inland, it did not stop.
"Patton drove them crazy," Moore said. "Patton didn't stop. He just kept going. He would get out 20, 30 miles ahead of the rest. He figured once you had the enemy down and running, you went after them. You kept the pressure on them. A lot of people didn't like Patton. The men who fought under him, we love him. We would follow him to hell and back."
They darn near did. Moore and his buddies pressed on, being called into action again in support of the cold and weary troops low on food and ammunition in the Ardennes Offensive, better known as the Battle of the Bulge.
"It was cold," Moore says. "Ground frozen so hard you couldn't dig a foxhole. I wanted to get as low as possible so I would take this C4 they would give us, cut off a little bit, set it, roll over about 15 feet out of the way and blow me a hole in the ground. They (enemy forces) had these shells that would burst above you and drop down all this shrapnel. Boys in foxholes still would get hit with those things so I took to digging an (alcove) off my foxhole and when they would start with those things, I would just climb deeper in the hole and have the ground over me for protection.
"We used to pray for darkness. The war stopped at dark, so at night you would say, 'Well, I made it today; maybe I can make it tomorrow."
At one point, Moore and several members of his platoon were pinned down in a valley, lying in ice cold water to get below the firing line.
"I couldn't feel anything by the time we got out of there. We finally got up a bank, taking fire and when we got over the other side, a couple of the boys said, 'Moore, you're going to need a new overcoat.' I said 'What are you talking about, needing a new overcoat?' I looked and I had 18 (bullet) holes in the bottom part of my overcoat and two in my britches leg. I don't know how in the world I didn't get hit."
Moore also took part in the first wave of another invasion of a different country. A lot smaller, less formally-planned operation.
"Me and three or four guys one day were out and crossed a railroad trestle that stretched over the Rhine River. We got to the other side and I said, 'Boys, we are in Germany.'"
Moore has a way with words, putting them together in a tale, a yarn-spinning dance that makes the listener believe they should be sitting on a front porch drinking sweet tea.
But the subject he discusses this day slaps the listener with a reality that can be heard, but not comprehended. He talks about reality, not a movie.
"February 22, 1945, I got shot through the hip and spent some time in the hospital getting that fixed," Moore says matter-of-factly. After undergoing treatment that to describe it would make the faint-of-heart would cringe, Moore was released and sent back to the front .
"The day I got out, a bunch of us were heading up the road and they blew our truck to pieces. "
Pockmarked with hot shrapnel, Moore picks at the back of his hand and forearm to show locations of getting hit.
" I had all of these little cuts and nicks all over me from this shrapnel," he says. Then he shakes his head. "I thought, 'The day I get out (of the hospital); I can't believe it.' They took it out of me, dabbed some Mercurochrome on me, had those red marks all over me you know, slapped some Band-Aids on me and sent me on my way."
By May 2, 1945, Moore's division reached within 12 miles of Czechoslovakia. Six days later, Germany surrendered.
Along the way, Moore already had accepted a surrender from a small part of Germany. He was an occupant in a jeep, just Moore and the driver, and their lieutenant sent them down a side road from the rest of the company's route to check out a farmhouse.
"Me and this jeep driver, a fellow named Hess, got a little ways up the road and we saw some movement around this farm house. I opened up with that .30 caliber. The house caught fire and it flushed out this fellow. He surrendered."
Moore and Hess took the prisoner and headed out, continuing up the road, they took a wrong turn. A few hundred yards ahead, they encountered a block building, and a little more resistence.
"We came up on this two-story building sitting there with a couple of Germans moving around and they started shooting," Moore says. "I opened up on that place too. Hess could speak a little German. But this fellow knew what we meant. We told him he better go in there and tell whoever was in there to come out or we were bringing in the tanks and blow that place off the map.
"He went in and a few minutes later came back out with about four or five officers and a bunch of other guys and we thought 'what in the world?' We couldn't believe it. We marched those guys back to the rest of our outfit and turned them over."
Here, Moore pauses, either for effect or just remembering how fortunate he had been. It is not a long pause, just enough. Then he chuckles.
"My commander said, 'Moore, where in the world have you been? What have you been doing? What was all that racket I heard over that hill?' I looked at him and said, 'I've been fighting the war, what have you been doing?''
Moore tosses his head back and laughs.
It was after the German surrender, the full German surrender, Moore, NASCAR championship-winning car owner in 1962 and 1963, first saw the value of earning points.
"They sent people home based on a point system," Moore says. "You got points for how long you had been in, how many battles you had fought in, all of this other stuff. Shoot, I had enough points to give some to the other guys and still be one of the first ones sent home."
And sent home he was, with two Bronze Stars and five Purple Hearts. He was promoted to Sergeant and put in charge, a precursor of things to come, of the motor pool. At one point he had been offered a promotion to lieutenant. He turned it down.
"One of our lieutenants ran off and two others got shot," Moore says shaking his head. "I can count. I said, 'No thank you.' The man said, 'Moore, we're offering you a battlefield commission.' I said 'I know. No thank you.''
He had seen enough.
The young man who wanted to be in the Navy with his friends but wound up in the Army had left home an 18-year-old boy and made it home as a 20-year-old man; only 24 months or so difference by a calendar but a lifetime of difference in living.
"When you are on the front line, you are doing everything you can to protect yourself and that guy beside you," he says. "You are in a foxhole with guys and this guy on this side of you or that guy on that side of you gets it and you don't. Who knows why that happens?"
Moore went from the motor pool to the garage, fixing cars, building cars and racing cars. By the late 40s, a group of businessmen, drivers, mechanics and others met in a hotel in Florida to take this thing and turn it into an organized sport.
From prized mechanic to championship car owner Moore cut a wide path. His drivers list reads like a who's who. He and Joe Weatherly teamed to win at Bristol in October of 1961 before the duo won 12 times and posted 68 top-10 finishes in 85 races while winning the NASCAR Cup championship back-to-back in 1962 and '63. Allison, Baker, Earnhardt, Parsons, Pearson, Rudd, Waltrip, Yarborough and Yarbrough all drove a Moore-prepared car at one time or another.
When Ford Motor Company wanted to make waves in road racing, they tapped Moore to lead the charge. He had done it before after all, in other ways. In 1970, Bud Moore Engineering with drivers Parnelli Jones and George Follmer earned Ford the Sports Car Club of America Manufacturer's Championship for the Over 2-litre category.
He had put his military service behind him. But it was not easy.
"I had nightmares for eight or 10 years," Moore says. "My wife would just beat on me trying to get me to wake up. That went on for a long time. Then I just quit thinking any more about it and it just began to go away."
And there it stayed, tucked away in the back of Moore's mind like so many others who had done and seen the things he had.
Relatives and a few close friends, of course, knew what Moore had done, the honors he had accumulated serving his country. But many still were in the dark.
That changed in June of 1995 on the 50th Anniversary of the D-Day invasions. Many of those who knew Moore's story arranged for a recognition ceremony before a NASCAR Cup race. Drivers who had driven for Moore through the years were there. Ford Motor Company, NASCAR and many others honored the man and in turn, made many more aware of his story.
Most people in the NASCAR garage could quote the history of Bud Moore the car-owner chapter and verse. Now they knew of a chapter they had not read.
"Dale Jarrett stopped me and said, 'You were at D-Day?' " Moore says. "A lot of people didn't know."
Now, many more do.
A long-time sponsor in the NASCAR garage offered to send Moore and his wife Betty on an all-expenses trip back to France; a chance to see Paris in a different way.
"I appreciated it, but I said, 'No thanks,' Moore says. "I left too many friends over there. I had no interest in going back."
More than 150,000 troops participated in the D-Day invasion. This is the story of one. This many years removed, Moore shrugs. Remembering his advice of just trying to protect himself and the guy beside him reminds one that in doing that, they protected us all.