Animals, Plants, Technology
Drone, Drone on the Range
By Caleb Garling on July 8, 2013
Caleb Garling
Drones aren't just for spying and unmanned warfare. Farmers are finding uses for herding cattle, spraying pesticides and a host of other farm chores.
Take Christmas morning at Practical Preppers Farm in South Carolina. Under the tree: an amateur drone with four helicopter blades. Giddy as a kid with a new bike, owner Scott Hunt decided to try flying it over his cows. And maybe, just maybe, he could use the toy as a herding device.
Hunt worried about frightening the animals enough that they crashed through a fence, but as YouTube proves, he did alright. He even landed the drone on the back of his bull.
"He wasn't too thrilled with that," he says. "A drone definitely will spook the animals. That's a huge horsefly."
Even outside jumpy bovine circles, the word "drone" can get a negative reaction these days. The unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are often viewed as the faceless assassins of the military or tools for the police to spy on citizens in their backyards.
'A drone definitely will spook the animals. That's a huge horsefly.'
Yet remote-control aircraft have practical purposes. As the costs of hardware, digital cameras and computing has fallen, it's grown increasingly common to see drones in the hands of regular people, hobbyists and curious kids.
Though he's keeping the applications playful for now, Hunt, a perpetual innovator on his own farm, sees the potential for UAVs on small and big farms, herding and otherwise. He's not alone. Long Dream Farm in Placer County, California is considering drones to herd its cattle and such techniques work for sheep too.
And there are plenty of other farm jobs where UAVs could replace humans, horses, tractors and machines, such as crop-dusting, imaging, taking samples and even checking in on pregnant livestock way out on the range.
Compared to tractors and vehicles, drones lighten the impact on the farm. Tractor wheels compress the soil, inadvertently flatten crops and have trouble with hillside farm terrain. Not to mention when crops like tomatoes form tight canopies between plants, the only real way (before now) to do get a sense of the field is by walking them. Drone helicopters can hover just inches off the ground and wield a robotic arm for taking leaf or insect samples.
And compared to piloted aircraft, UAVs are cheap.
"This is just another tool that can be used in the field to hopefully make food production safer," Dr. Ken Giles, an agricultural engineering professor at the University of California, Davis, who has been working on low-flying unmanned planes for spraying pesticides. Keeping the human pilot away from chemicals as the craft sprays could go a long way to avoid health issues.
But the operative phrase for farm drones is "could replace." Today it is not legal to fly UAVs for commercial purposes, other than applying for "experimental" permits. So despite much hype and many promises about drones in American media, the UAV applications are still at the fringes.
Farmers abide by FAA regulations for small remote-controlled aircraft — "hobbyist" rules: fly less than 400 feet off the ground, be miles away from an airport and weigh less than 55 pounds. The first two are not much of an issue, but if a farmer wants to do serious spraying, carry heavy imaging devices or cover a lot of ground, 55 pounds doesn't really cut it. (And Giles points out that if/when you clear FAA regulations, there will also be EPA regulations for crop-dusting.)
Yet on farms in countries with more lax regulation of airspace, drones are, um, taking off. Rory Paul, a robotics developer in Missouri and outspoken UAV advocate, consults with farmers on the best applications for drones and says the United States is "a good three years behind." Giles echoes the sentiment. "The advancements in Europe are pretty far along," he says, noting that farms in France are developing advanced imaging techniques.
But it's not just the West. Japanese farms have long used midsize drones for crop-dusting. Brazil and Argentina have started using drones on their sprawling lands. Pablo Sandoval is a technician at Agricultura por Ambientes in Uruguay, which promotes healthy and sustainable farming. Today his group mainly uses drones for crop monitoring and aerial mapping. The UAVs build an intricate picture of the land by overlaying pictures and thermal images of corn, soybean, wheat, sugarcane and rice.
"I got the distinct impression they thought we'd have Predator and Reaper drones out among our crops."
For instance, they can use the chlorophyll index to analyze nitrogen changes to the overall terrain, which then informs the way they'll fertilize plants down the line. And rice needs a specific amount of water so the images dictate where to irrigate and where the crop grows best. Lastly, they use the images to simply gauge what crop yields will be before harvesting.
Some of the United States' slowness in adoption is just the natural rate of uptake for a new technology. But the slow pace is also due to a government struggling to modernize drone regulations. Congress has until 2015 to create pathways for drones to fill the skies for commercial uses.
Paul works with the officials in charge of the new FAA regulations. "It's caught the [public's] imagination, but nothing's changed from an FAA perspective….I got the distinct impression they thought we'd have Predator and Reaper drones out among our crops," he said, referring to the deadly military crafts and without a hint of a joke.
The U.S. isn't alone though. Other countries are struggling with how to manage UAVs. Sandoval says that Uruguay's current regulations exist in a gray area that doesn't allow unmanned aircraft, but doesn't exactly forbid them either. Still, he points out that the demand to find regulations has not experienced as much pressure as it has in the United States since Uruguay's skies aren't as crowded.
Giles is measured when he speaks about today's regulations in the U.S.: "That's the limitation for a lot of operations." But the impatience in Rory Paul's voice is loud and clear when he talks about them. "We've been ready to go for three years already — maybe more."
Photo credit: ADP Agronegocios del Plata
Richard O'Leary
Thanks for this excellent post.
Some equipment can already take samples from the ground or apply inputs (fertilizers, weedkillers, etc.) in a very localized way. A start-up even managed to plant or sow with great efficiency.
To increase analysis capabilities tenfold, swarms of drones are now being used.
But UAV manufacturers are no longer only interested in the aerial performance of their vehicles: they are investing in sensors and software, embedded or not.
Aquaculture, Technology
Can Interactive Mapping Tools Guide Shellfish Restoration?Bridget Shirvell


The 16 affective disorders and disorders: why do they occur?
Faced with the appearance and manifestation of a certain psychopathology, an alteration of the affective or emotional state appears intrinsically.
Usually these types of psychological expressions tend to be confusing as they are often used incorrectly and indistinctly. In order to know in a concrete way the definition of the deviations of the affection, we have compiled a list of the main affective disorders.
What is affectivity?
1. Pathological joy
2. Pathological sadness
3. Pathological anxiety
4. Affective indifference or coldness
5. Anedonia
6. Parathyroidism or emotional insufficiency
7. Emotional or affective lability
8. Dysthymia
9. Dysphoria
10. Aprosodia
11. Alexithymia
12. Emotional rigidity
13. Ambivalence or ambitimia
14. Neothymia
15. Apathy
16. Abulia
Affectivity is defined as the set of states and tendencies that a person experiences in their own way and immediately, that is, they exhibit a predominantly subjective nature.
Outraged, it considerably influences the conformation of the personality and the behavior of the subject, To be therefore transcendent in the psychological development of the individual and is intrinsically associated with the communicative property since it is one of its fundamental goals. They are usually indicated using pairs of opposing terms such as joy / sadness, pleasure / pain, pleasant / unpleasant, etc.
In the DSM definition, affection is understood as behavior that expresses the subjective experience of a mood, or what is the same, an emotion. Thus, this concept relates to a more changeable and brief phenomenon, while humor refers to sustained and more permanent emotions.
It refers to an extreme state of euphoria and hyperactivity and is linked to the presence of a manic episode or an organic image called "moria," which is characterized by excessive arousal, childish behavior, and a tendency to play on words.
Set of symptoms based on an intense feeling of grief, sadness and grief in which the person experiences a significant decrease in interest in the environment. It is common in depressive episodes.
It is a manifestation relating to a remarkable increase in the state of physiological tension accompanied by a permanent feeling of intense fear, such as a state of continual vigilance. This deviation is common in anxiety disorders, primarily.
It refers to a state of absence of experiencing emotional sensations and is often linked to apathy or poor emotional responsiveness. It generally occurs in schizophrenic conditions, in pathologies of the histrionic personality, in organic-cerebral or endocrine alterations.
Anhedonia is defined by the inability to experience pleasure and is common in schizophrenia and depression.
In this alteration, there is an incongruity between the affectivity expressed by the person and the contextual situation in which it manifests itself. It is characteristic of schizophrenic and organic-brain disorders.
This pathology is characterized by sudden changes in affection combined with the inability to contain it emotionally.. This is typical of dementias and pseudobulbar images. In the latter syndrome, fits of laughter or uncontrollable crying may occur, more frequently the latter.
This state is defined by the manifestation of a permanent bad mood, With little fluctuation. In DSM V, a distinction is made between dysthymic disorder or, what is the same, persistent depressive disorder. It is chronic although the intensity of symptoms is lower than in depressive disorder.
More information: "Dysthymia: when melancholy takes over your mind"
It is understood as a feeling of general emotional discomfort, with a depressed mood and the presence of anxiety, rather than physiological and cognitive anxiety. A significant presence has been observed in gender identity disorders.
This pathology is defined by an alteration in the use of affective language, More precisely in prosody (tone, rhythm, accent, intonation) and in emotional modulation. This condition is found in patients with Parkinson's disease or in patients who have sustained an injury to the right cerebral hemisphere.
In this case, there is also an alteration of emotional language, although referring to propositional aspects of language.. In other words, the person is unable to find a word that expresses his emotional state. It is common in chronic pain disorders.
More information: "Alexithymia: the inability to say" I love you ""
In this assignment, the ability to modulate and modify the emotions experienced is lost. and is associated with episodes of mania, depression or schizophrenia.
In this manifestation, the expression of opposite emotions on the same object or phenomenon occurs simultaneously. It is found in various personality disorders as it can occur in non-clinical subjects as well.
It is defined as a sensation of "new appearance", in the face of which the patient declares not to be able to recognize it in himself. or after having experienced it before. (Stolen or taxed emotional states). It is often associated with psychosis, epilepsy or heavy toxic use.
Lack of motivation, lack of "desire to do anything" and indifference to received external stimulation which is attributed to depressive states.
It is defined as the inability to perform an action voluntarily, Lack of energy to react behaviorally. It is linked to these pathologies of decreased motivation in the pediatric clinical population.
CEDE (2012) CEDE PIR preparation manual, psychopathology. VOL.1.
Casat, M. (2015) PIR Exam Preparation Manual vol. 1 "Editorial MAD.
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USGS Circular 1316
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Synthesis of U.S. Geological Survey Science for the Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem and Implications for Environmental Management
Chapter 3: Factors Affecting the Distribution and Transport of Nutrients
By John W. Brakebill and Stephen D. Preston
HTML Index
USGS Chesapeake
In the Chesapeake 2000 agreement, the goal for water quality is to "achieve and maintain the water quality necessary to support aquatic living resources of the Bay and its tributaries and to protect human health." Related to this goal is a commitment to correct nutrient- and sediment-related problems in the Bay and its tributaries in order to remove the Bay from the impaired waters list by 2010. This chapter summarizes USGS efforts to better understand the distribution and transport of nutrients using a watershed modeling application, known as SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW).
SPARROW models use a nonlinear regression approach to define relations among nutrient sources, stream nutrient loads, and the environmental factors that potentially affect nutrient transport (Smith and others, 1997; Schwarz and others, 2006). Results from the SPARROW models provide (1) a statistical basis for estimating stream nutrient loads in unmonitored locations, and (2) the statistical significance of nutrient sources, environmental factors, and transport processes in explaining predicted nutrient loads.
The distribution and transport of nutrient sources in the Chesapeake Bay watershed have been evaluated by the USGS using the SPARROW methodology. Models of total nitrogen and total phosphorus were developed for the Chesapeake Bay watershed, estimating water-quality conditions for three snapshots in time: the late 1980s-Version 1.0 (Preston and Brakebill, 1999; Brakebill and Preston, 1999), the early 1990s-Version 2.0 (Brakebill and others, 2001), and the late 1990s-Version 3.0 (Brakebill and Preston, 2004). Spatial data representing nutrient source quantities for each specified time period were compiled and include: atmospheric deposition, point-source locations, septic systems (Version 2.0 only), land use, land cover, and agricultural sources including commercial fertilizer and manure applications. Environmental characteristics datasets representing factors that affect the transport of nutrients (land-to-water delivery) also were compiled.
The fate and transport of nitrogen within a drainage catchment are influenced by watershed characteristics (such as slope, lithology, and geologic structure) and processes within the stream channel. Soil permeability (Version 1.0) and area within the Coastal Plain Physiographic Province (Versions 2.0 and 3.0) were identified in the SPARROW models as statistically significant watershed characteristics that affect the transport of nitrogen to streams. These factors may reflect the potential for nitrogen to flow through ground-water pathways that are slower and provide more potential for loss through denitrification (Brakebill and Preston, 2004). Additionally, the effect of in-stream loss processes, represented as a function of stream traveltime based on various streamflow classes and the presence of reservoirs, is a significant factor affecting the transport of nitrogen in streams (Brakebill and Preston, 2004; Preston and Brakebill, 1999). Smaller streams (those less than 200 cfs, or cubic feet per second), tend to have higher nitrogen loss than larger streams—those greater than 1,000 cfs. Smaller, shallower streams have more contact with bottom sediments and have a greater potential for total nitrogen loss due to biological processing and denitrification.
Resource managers have identified three nutrient sources—point sources, agriculture, and urban lands— as high priorities for nutrient-reduction actions. The spatial distribution of the amount of nitrogen delivered (expressed as yield) from each major source as it is transported to the Chesapeake Bay estuary is shown in figure 3.1. This information is being used to identify geographic areas where management actions designed to reduce nitrogen to the estuary should be implemented. The USGS also has provided the SPARROW model results for each of the tributary strategy basins, which are the geographic areas with specific nutrient and reduction goals, so resource managers can identify local areas with the highest delivery of nutrients to local streams and the estuary. An example of the SPARROW model results for the Shenandoah Valley tributary strategy basin is shown in figure 3.2. The amount of nitrogen that is generated locally and transported to streams ("incremental yield") is shown in figure 3.2A, and the amount of nitrogen that is generated locally and would be transported to the estuary ("delivered yield") is shown in figure 3.2B. The maps can be used together to better define areas where management actions may improve water quality both in local streams and the estuary. Information from the SPARROW models was also used to refine the segmentation for the CBP Phase V watershed model (Martucci and others, 2005), and to help design the CBP nontidal water-quality network (Brakebill and Preston, 2003). Results from the network for nutrient and sediment trends are provided in Chapter 5.
Figure 3.1. Distribution of nitrogen yields delivered to Chesapeake Bay from (A) point sources, (B) agricultural sources, and (C) urban lands (modified from Brakebill and Preston, 2004). The USGS developed watershed models (SPARROW models) that provide a finer resolution of nutrient sources and their transport to streams and to the estuary. The SPARROW model results are being used to identify priority areas for implementing management actions.
The Cambridge wastewater treatment plant, with downtown Cambridge in the background and the Choptank River Bridge on the right. Photograph by Jane Thomas, IAN Image Library (www.ian.umces.edu/imagelibrary/).
Figure 3.2. Distribution of total nitrogen yield in the Shenandoah Valley tributary strategy basin. (A) Incremental yield of total nitrogen is the amount generated in a local watershed and transported to a stream reach, and (B) delivered yield of total nitrogen is the amount that is generated in a local watershed and is reduced by instream loss as it is transported to the Bay. The results are being used to further delineate areas where management actions can benefit both the estuary and local water quality.
View of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. Photograph by U.S. Geological Survey.
Brakebill, J.W., and Preston, S.D., 1999, Digital data used to relate nutrient inputs to water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Version 1.0: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 99–60, [variously paged].
Brakebill, J.W., and Preston, S.D., 2003, A digital hydrologic network supporting spatially referenced regression modeling in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, in Proceedings of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EMAP Symposium 2001: Coastal Monitoring Through Partnerships, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, April 24–27, 2001, Pensacola, Florida, [81:1–3] 73–84, 403 p.
Brakebill, J.W., and Preston, S.D., 2004, Digital data used to relate nutrient inputs to water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Version 3.0: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2004–1433, [variously paged].
Brakebill, J.W., Preston, S.D., and Martucci, S.K., 2001, Digital data used to relate nutrient inputs to water quality in the Chesapeake Bay, Version 2.0: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 01–251, [variously paged].
Martucci, S.K., Krstolic, J.L., Raffensperger, J.P., and Hopkins, K.J., 2005, Development of land segmentation, stream-reach network, and watersheds in support of Hydrological Simulation Program–Fortran (HSPF) modeling, Chesapeake Bay watershed, and adjacent parts of Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2005–5073, 15 p.
Preston, S.D., and Brakebill, J.W., 1999, Applications of spatially referenced regression modeling for the evaluation of total nitrogen loading in the Chesapeake Bay watershed: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 99–4054, 12 p.
Smith, R.A., Schwarz, G.E., and Alexander, R.B., 1997, Regional interpretation of water-quality monitoring data: Water Resources Research, v. 33, no. 12, p. 2,781–2,798.
Schwarz, G.E., Hoos, A.B., Alexander, R.B., and Smith, R.A., 2006, The SPARROW water-quality model: Theory, applications, and user documentation: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods 6B3, 248 p., CD-ROM.
URL: https://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/circ1316/html/circ1316chap3.html
Page Contact Information: Contact USGS
Page Last Modified: Tuesday, July 10, 2018, 11:00:51 AM


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Using mobile big data to help inform the fight against COVID-19 in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Wednesday 29 July, 2020
Blog | blog | COVID-19 | Democratic Republic of Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is particularly vulnerable to the COVID-19 epidemic. The country is already dealing with cholera, a measles epidemic that has caused 6,000 deaths since January 2019, as well as a new outbreak of Ebola in the Équateur province. At the same time, the country's economy is very exposed to the unprecedented economic slowdown caused by global containment measures to "flatten the curve" with the IMF's growth projections for the country downgraded to -2.2 per cent for 2020.
As of 13 July, the country has reported 8,075 COVID-19 cases and 190 deaths, with around 85 per cent of confirmed cases concentrated in the Kinshasa province. While the government is actively working with partners to slow the propagation of the virus, support vulnerable communities, and strengthen the resilience of the health system, the lack of data is a major impediment.
The DRC has not had a census since 1984, and following the process of decoupage in 2015 that saw the country's existing 11 provinces being split up to 26, data to inform evidence-based decision making by province is fairly limited. A consortium led by Grid3 is currently trying to update population estimates for some of the DRC's 26 provinces, while also overlaying these population estimates with the latest health infrastructure data. The importance of this exercise is highlighted by their recent mapping of villages in the Kongo Central province. While the most comprehensive dataset in the Kongo Central province had only about 500 villages named and located, Grid3's settlement layer featured over 9,000.
The country's ongoing battle with other diseases, as well as the general vulnerability of the population to economic shocks (73 per cent of the DRC's population live under the poverty line), make informed action based on data that weighs different policy trade-offs all the more important.
In low-income countries like the DRC, where data quality is poor and national statistics offices under-resourced, aggregated, anonymised mobile operator data can provide vital and actionable insights for decision-makers in the context of COVID-19. Some of the relevant use cases include mapping population mobility across provinces and health districts, identifying potential hotspots for the propagation of the virus, and mapping out evolving logistical and resource requirements for vital assets (such as health centres) over time.
How the mobile industry is supporting health authorities and relevant partners in the DRC
In May 2020, the GSMA, ANICiiS[1] and Kinshasa Digital[2], with the support of Texaf Digital Campus, together with mobile operators Africell, Orange and Vodacom, reached an agreement to collaborate to use mobile big data analytics to inform the efforts of the Government of DRC in responding to COVID-19. The country's telecommunications regulator l'Autorité de Régulation de la Poste et des Télécommunications du Congo also endorsed the project. Other key partners include Fluxvision[3], PATH, an NGO advising the Congolese authorities on digital health interventions, Flowminder, an NGO that leverages big data to improve public health and welfare, and the Digital Impact Alliance, an NGO that aims to advance digital inclusion.
Beyond coordinating the contribution of different mobile operators and their partners, the GSMA is also supporting this project through sharing lessons learnt from its global AI for Impact initiative, and providing data science expertise. The GSMA is also ensuring that the project adheres to adequate data privacy standards.
What has been achieved so far
As part of the engagement, Orange DRC in partnership with Flux Vision have already provided aggregated and anonymised data sets to Kinshasa Digital. Based on these insights, Kinshasa Digital is building a nationwide dashboard, which allows health authorities to track population mobility trends within and across different health districts throughout the country. This allows government authorities insight into how movement patterns change in response to government measures, as well as other factors such as economic incentives, or insecurity. As the virus is spreading rapidly from Kinshasa's most affected districts (such as Limete, Gombe, Binza-Meteo, Binza-Ozone) to other districts in Kinshasa, and to other provinces in the country (most notably Kinshasa, Kongo Central, Sud Kivu, and Haut-Katanga) amid mining activities resuming, it will be a useful tool for the government to track the potential propagation of the virus and to devise informed policy responses.
A population mobility dashboard hosted on StopCovid DRC with Orange RDC data
In parallel, Vodacom DRC and Flowminder have provided government authorities with a report, which uses call detail records (CDRs) to analyse the impact of the government's confinement measures on mobility patterns in Kinshasa's Gombe district. The analysis revealed that there is a drop of 70% in the total flow of subscribers travelling to Gombe after the confinement, suggesting that adherence to the government's measures was quite high.
Africell has also partnered up with Flowminder, and will also be providing vital insights to government authorities going forward. In parallel, Flowminder and the GSMA are also in conversations with Grid3 and WorldPop to see how mobile data can further enhance the accuracy of these vital population estimates.
Leveraging the dashboard, Kinshasa Digital and the GSMA are also closely working with mobile operators and the Ministry of Health to identify potential future hotspots (as the case load outside of the province of Kinshasa is accelerating rapidly). Further, beyond understanding population mobility and potential future hotspots, Kinshasa Digital are also working with relevant partners to provide updated insights on the stock levels and resource requirements of health facilities in the province of Kinshasa.
In the longer-term, the GSMA hopes that this project underlines the value of mobile big data to government stakeholders beyond the Ministry of Health, strengthens the capacity of local mobile operators, and leads to further such partnerships to help address the country's challenges.
For more information on AI for Impact, and how mobile big data analytics can help combat COVID-19, please go to:
AI for Impact
[1] Agence Nationale d'Ingénierie Clinique d'Information et d'Informatique de Santé
[2] A web development and digital communication agency that serves as one of the key technical partners of ANICiiS and the Ministry of Health
[3] A division of Orange Business Services that offers near real- time, reliable statistics on mobility patterns
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Alpha Relief assesses aid for disaster victims
By Beth StolickerSeptember 22, 2017
International (MNN) – Before the second earthquake shook Mexico this month, both the states of Florida and Texas in the United States and the South Asian countries of Bangladesh, Nepal, and India had been experiencing their own disasters– extreme flooding.
Thousands Affected by Disasters
GOES-16 captured this geocolor image of three hurricanes in the tropical Atlantic on the afternoon of September 8, 2017. Left to right, they are: Hurricane Katia, which made landfall in Mexico that night. Hurricane Irma, which was passing between Cuba and the Bahamas; and Hurricane José, which was churning in the open ocean. (Caption, photo courtesy of NOAA Satellites via Flickr: https://goo.gl/kxyXA4)
The flooding, caused by hurricanes and monsoons, has left thousands of people devastated, homeless, and in great need. However, little has been said about the destruction the monsoons have brought in South Asia. Instead, this news has been clouded by other devastating events.
Global Advance wants to address the needs in South Asia and the United States, through its ministry, Alpha Relief.
"[Alpha Relief was] birthed to minister in very concrete ways to persecuted believers around the world. And so, Alpha Relief does that," Global Advance's David Shibley explains.
However, a lot of Christian ministries are strained as they try to help the increasing need. And, Alpha Relief is no exception. Alpha Relief has already been providing aid to those who have stayed behind in Syria.
"We go in providing very practical things like heating oil, blankets, medications, and just ministering encouragement to Christians there in Syria."
Opportunities for the Gospel
Still, this incredible time of need offers numerous opportunities for Christians to get involved and help their neighbor. While these disasters are anything but good, they do post an opportunity for an open door through which to share the Gospel.
"We need to stay Gospel-centered and put the Gospel front and center because many hearts are open right now," Shibley shares.
"There are many who turn in disillusionment and bitterness, that's true. But, there are others who are asking the big questions of life and we need to be there with the hope that we have in Jesus Christ."
Alpha Relief Tips for Helping
With the increased need, Alpha Relief is in the assessment phase to know how best to use their resources and who the ministry can reach. Regardless of where the help goes, though, it's going to be a long-term project for recovery in the United States, South Asia, Syria, and Mexico.
(Photo Courtesy Alpha Relief via Facebook)
So, how is Alpha Relief determining how and who to help?
"We just look at the human need, realizing that we cannot respond to everything, but we can respond to that which the Holy Spirit prompts us to do," Shibley explains.
As missionary once told Shibley; the amount of need there is could put a single person in a thousand places today. However, there's only one place you're supposed to be–the place the God wants you to serve and help in.
Pray for Alpha Relief to decipher where the Holy Spirit is leading the ministry to help. Ask God what he wants you to do and where he wants you to be. Pray for people's hearts to be sensitive to the need both in the United States and abroad. Finally, pray for the right people to step forward to address this enormous need.
"That mix altogether of the compassionate deeds, the supernatural touch of God's grace, and the proclamation of the Gospel is going to have tremendous multiplied effect in these days," Shibley shares.
Learn more about Alpha Relief or donate here!
alpha reliefbangladeshfloridaglobal advancemexiconepalrefugeessouth asiasyriatexasunited states
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Pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance as Alpha Relief assess how to help.
Pray for the people living through these disasters to have their needs met, find comfort, and to lean on the Lord.
Donate to Alpha Relief and help meet these people's needs!
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Here's Lukas Graham and Kelsea Ballerini's Charming Grammys Duet
Ryan Seacrest wondered where else such a strange collaboration, between a some Danes and an American, could possibly happen.
by Alex Robert Ross
Feb 13 2017, 3:08am
Danish band Lukas Graham and Tennessean country Kelsea Ballerini performed together at the 2017 Grammys tonight in Los Angeles. They played a combination of Lukas Graham's "7 Years" and Ballerini's "Peter Pan" in what amounted to a surprisingly coherent duet. Ryan Seacrest, of course, thought that the whole thing was astonishing when introducing the set, with Danish and American cultures clashing right there on the stage before our very eyes. WHAT ODDS?!
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2021 Glorisun International Intensive Program on Buddhism, hosted by Harvard FAS CAMLab – Student Forum
Third Volume of "Hualin Translation Series On Buddhist Studies" (Chinese)
2021 Glorisun International Intensive Program on Buddhism, hosted by Harvard FAS CAMLab – Student Forum Panel 3
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Watch Panel 3 recording here.
2021 Glorisun INTERNATIONAL & INTENSIVE PROGRAM
ON BUDDHISM STUDENT FORUM
Time Zone Vancouver (PST) New York (EST) UK (BST) Hamburg (GMT) Beijing (CST)
Panel 1 6:00 am–7:25 am 9:00 am–10:25 am 2:00 pm–3:25 pm 3:00 pm–4:25 pm 9:00 pm–10:25 pm
Panel 1: Textual Studies 文獻研究 (Chair: Micheal CAVAYERO 柯偉業)
1.1. (6:00-6:10) Ché GARCIA 葛思澈 (Renmin University of China 中國人民大學): A Cursory Look at Ben in T14 Renben yusheng jing 人本欲生經
1.2. (6:10-6:20) Lindsay LIN 林莉莉 (Shanghai Normal University 上海師範大學): 從寫本至刻本——漢譯《法句經》異文研究
1.3. (6:20-6:30) ZENG Lizhen 曾麗珍 (Fujian Normal University 福建師範大學): 《佛說解百生怨家陀羅尼經》咒語研究
1.4. (6:30-6:40) Guanrui GONG 龔冠睿 (University of Colorado, Boulder): Strategies of Persuasion in the Preface to Chu sanzang ji ji 出三藏記集
Comment 評議 (6:40-6:55) Discussant: Imre GALAMBOS 高奕睿
Discussion 討論 (6:55-7:25) Open Floor 開放討論
Panel 2 7:35 am–9:20 am 10:35 am–12:20 pm 3:35 pm–5:20 pm 4:35 pm–6:20 pm 10:35 pm–12:20 am
Panel 2: Doctrine & Practice 義理與實踐 (Chair: Jinhua CHEN 陳金華)
2.1. (7:35-7:45) SHI Chuansheng 釋傳聖 (Richard Changjin Chen) (University of Hong Kong 香港大學): Seven-Fold Classifications of Buddhism (金頂七教: 因應大數據時代,在天台判教基礎上的全新再判教)
2.2. (7:45-7:55) Yipaer AIERKEN 伊帕爾·艾爾肯 (Arizona State University): Transreligious and Transethnical Aesthetics: Anige (1245–1306)
2.3. (7:55-8:05) Makarand LANKESHWAR (Capital Normal University 首都師範大學): Mumbai, the Economic Capital and Its Port during Satvahana Period
2.4. (8:05-8:15) Matteo SGORBATI 司瑪竇 (University of Perugia, Italy & Ghent University, Belgium): Wu Rujun and the Buddhist authentication of Jung's theory of the mind: Self, Collective Unconscious and Shadow
2.5. (8:15-8:25) VEN. Cetovimutti (Cong Yuan) (Chicago): A Baby Born from a Cow and a Lotus: The Amalgamation of Buddhist and Daoist Doctrines in The Legend of King Guyin 古音王傳
Comment 評議 (8:25-8:40) Discussant: Barend TER HAAR 田海
Panel 3 9:30 am–11:00am 12:30 am–2:00 pm 5:30 pm–7:00 pm 6:30 pm–8:00 pm 12:30 am–2:00 am
Panel 3: Religious Arts 宗教藝術 (Chair: Lori Meeks)
3.1. (9:30-9:40) Xiaofei (Sophie) LEI 雷小霏 (Harvard): Dharani, Meditation, and Mara's Deeds: A Reinterpretation of Dunhuang Cave 285
3.2. (9:40-9:50) DING Kehan 丁可含 (Edinburgh): The Syntax of Ritual Formulation in the Song-Yuan Buddhist Monasteries
3.3. (9:50-10:00) WANG Kai 王開 (U. of Toronto): Shaping the Faces of Immortals: A Visual Change of Immortal Appearance in Early Taoism
3.4. (10:00-10:10) Junfu WONG 黃君榑 (Cambridge): Lay Buddhist Framework of the Afterlife: Scriptural Borrowing and Practising as Reflected by Guanzhong Stele Epigraphy during the Fifth and Sixth Centuries
Comment 評議 (10:10-10:25) Discussant: Eugene WANG 汪悅進
Discussion 討論 (10:25-11:00) Open Floor 開放討論
Panel 1: Textual Studies 文獻研究
1.1. Ché GARCIA 葛思澈 (Renmin University of China 中國人民大學): A Cursory Look at Ben in T14 Renben yusheng jing 人本欲生經
Shi Dao'an 釋道安 (312-385) is one of the most prolific figures in early Chinese Buddhism. One of the most popular monks of his time, he was a teacher, a translator, a bibliographer, and was instrumental in establishing many of the codes for monastic discipline and conduct. It was he who instituted the practice of Chinese monks taking the surname, "Shi" 釋 in honor of "the sage of the Śakyas" (Śakyamunī; Pāli: Sakyamunī; 釋迦穆尼), which endures to this day. He is no less remembered as a great exegete, writing commentaries for at least six translations of An Shigao 安世高 (c. 2nd cent.), thereby marrying himself and his ideas to some of the most important foundational texts in early Chinese Buddhism. Early in his career, he composed a preface and commentary to An Shigao's translation of the Renben yusheng jing 人本欲生經. In that preface, when giving his reading of the title, he defines the term, ben 本 as chi 癡. In the following paper, I will attempt to show that, while "ben as chi" may be an integral part of Shi Dao'an's philosophy, there is no basis for such a reading in An Shigao's original translation.
1.2. Lindsay LIN 林莉莉 (Shanghai Normal University 上海師範大學): 從寫本至刻本:漢譯《法句經》異文研究
漢譯《法句經》作為最早被傳譯的佛教典籍之一,由寫本發展到刻本,以至今日之通行本,歷經一千多年。從現存最早的敦煌及吐魯番寫本,到如今使用最廣的大正藏刻本,這段流傳的歷史,無疑也是其文本的演變史。目前學界關於漢譯《法句經》的文獻學研究,能夠利用敦煌遺書和吐魯番文書等寫本的並不多見。本文對校了不同時期的《法句經》寫本及刻本,整理出異文近三百處。通過對異文橫向和縱向的研究,分析推測《法句經》從寫本至刻本的演變情況,進而管窺漢文大藏經從寫本藏經至刻本藏經整體的流變。
1.3. ZENG Lizhen 曾麗珍 (Fujian Normal University 福建師範大學): 《佛說解百生怨家陀羅尼經》咒語研究
《佛說解百生怨家陀羅尼經》作為一部疑偽經,在唐宋之後的民間具有廣泛的信仰基礎,而經文在傳播和使用過程中又衍生出多個版本。目前發現有敦煌寫本、西夏文本、《嘉興藏》本和神德寺塔出土文獻四種,神德寺塔出土文獻又可根據咒語的不同分為兩個系統。五個版本中四種咒語的大部分內容都可見於盛唐時期所譯密典,通過追溯這些咒語來源,可以推斷此經在唐開元十二年至唐末一段時間內產生。由於此經具有很強的現實針對性,迎合民眾為亡者解除人世恩怨的功能訴求,且經中大力宣揚陀羅尼的功力,因而經內解冤咒語在後世頻繁運用於各種薦亡儀式。
1.4. Guanrui GONG 龔冠睿 (University of Colorado, Boulder): Strategies of Persuasion in the Preface to Chu Sanzang ji ji 出三藏記集
The Chu Sanzang ji ji 出三藏記集 (Collection of records on the translation of Tripitaka; hereafter CSZJJ) compiled by Sengyou 僧祐 (445–518) has provided valuable bibliographical information of early Chinese Buddhist scriptures. Recent scholarship on CSZJJ has focused on attributions of translations of scriptures and how the collection is organized. In my paper, I shift my focus from the collection proper to the preface in the beginning of CSZJJ. I read the preface as a literary piece of writing and explore the paratextual functions it performs for the collection. I argue that the preface can be read as an apology for CSZJJ—an argument for its necessity, importance, reliability, and authority. Through a close reading of the text, paying attention to both the information it conveys and how it conveys the information, I illustrate that the preface succeeds to be persuasive for CSZJJ through laying out clearly the problems CSZJJ aimed to solve, through bringing out the usefulness and necessity of CSZJJ, through emphasizing the importance of compilers in Buddhism and their lineage, and through autobiographical accounts and the various rhetorical devices employed in these accounts. I also show how Sengyou's paratextual practices have echoes in other literary traditions than the Chinese one. I expect my project to shed new light on paratexts from early medieval China and to demonstrate the potential to read Buddhist texts as literature.
Panel 2: Doctrine & Practice 義理與實踐
2.1. Shi Chuansheng 釋傳聖 (Richard Changjin Chen) (University of Hong Kong 香港大學): Seven-Fold Classifications of Buddhism (金頂七教: 因應大數據時代,在天台判教基礎上的全新再判教)
This thesis is intent on having a new classification of world Buddhism from ground up. In the Era of modern Big Data Database, scholars could get rich academic research resources from the Internet. Apparently, this is an opportunity to integrate all teachings of the Three Vehicles together to develop a new unification of the world Buddhism. In the course of studying Buddhism. It is noted that the Indian Madhyamika was classified as the Two Truth Theories二諦論; however, the Chinese Tiantai Buddhist scholars developed it into Three Truth Theories三諦論. There were other thoughts of Classifications 判教思想, such as the Chinese Tiantai 天台, Huayan 華嚴, Tang 唐密 and Tibetan 藏密 Traditions over one thousand years ago. Due to a lack of communications and other reasons, they are all isolated because of their own sectarian traditions and deepening levels differentiation. It is quite demanding for different Buddhist traditions to follow. Accordingly, it is necessary for the scholars of Buddhist studies to reach a consensus agreement in accord with all sectarian traditions, and to provide a vision for the Buddhists in every stage of their practice. Inclusively, this new classification is to uphold the three vehicles 三乘總持 in Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana, and it is the collection of the seven teachings as a whole. It comprises the Treatises on Renunciation Mind 出離心論, Buddha Nature 佛性論, Bodhi Mind 菩提心論, Vajra Mind 金剛心論, Vajra Body 金剛身論, Buddha Bodies 佛身論, and Pure Lands 佛土論.
2.2. Yipaer AIERKEN 伊帕爾·艾爾肯 (Arizona State University): Transreligious and Transethnical Aesthetics: Anige (1245–1306)
Both Tibetan Buddhism and the art associated with it spread widely throughout Inner China after Tibet was conquered by the Sino-Mongolian Yuan dynasty. As a result of the need for political and religious ceremonies, vast amounts of Tibetan Buddhist art was created in the Yuan dynasty's two capitals and across the Jiangnan area. In the History of the Yuan and other historical records of the Yuan era, Tibetan Buddhist artworks produced under the supervision of the court are referred to as the Nepali-Tibetan Himalayan style, a term invented by the Nepali artist Anige (1245–1306). It is important to reconstruct this style given its widespread and far-reaching influence on Tibetan Buddhist art at the Ming and Qing courts, Tibetan Buddhist art in Tibet, and its significance to the history of Tibetan Buddhist art, Sino–Tibetan artistic interaction, and even Chinese Buddhist art. I use historical records, biography and thangkas portraits to study the social background and religious milieu of the Nepali-Tibetan Himalayan style's emergence in the Yuan period. The aim of this research is to contribute a fresh perspective regarding the evolution of art history from a Nepali-Tibetan perspective.
2.3. Makarand LANKESHWAR (Capital Normal University 首都師範大學): Mumbai, the Economic Capital and Its Port During Satvahana Period
India is a land that has always attracted travelers, researchers, traders. And it has always been in the spotlight in world history. The abundance of India's natural resources, agricultural products, ornaments, spices, etc., attracted Western travelers, merchants, and the kings of those countries to India. The fascination of Indian culture, civilization, tradition and philosophy was felt by the western countries. And it was from this trade that cultural unity, economic exchanges began.
The word INDIA was first used by the Greeks "Inida- across the Indus." They set sail in small ships and reached the Indus Valley. Eventually they became aware of the winds, using the southwest monsoon winds from June to September they easily crossed the Indian Ocean directly from the port of Eden to the west coast of India. And they traveled back with the northeast monsoon winds blowing from November to February. Eudoxus/ Hippalus was the first to discover or realize this wind … This allowed merchants from the west to make a round-trip journey to India within a single year. These foreign sailors discovered many new sea routes. The information of trade of small places of these routes was only given to each other through verbal method.
India was a trading and economic hub during ancient period. Many ancient Yavan (Greek-Roman) traders, travelers, ambassadors have described Indian trade in detail in their books. in Buddhist literature also find descriptions of commercial markets, ports etc.
Divyavadan is mentioned in the book as a city with 17 major gates with ramparts. also mentions that Monk Punna came here to spread Buddhism on the orders of Buddha. If Soppara is the port of Ophir (described in the Bible), then its time can go back. In the book PES Soppara is mentioned as Ouppara.
Edict of Ashoka describes that Monk Dhammarakshit (Greek-Roman) appointed as to look after the area. This confirms that there was a large Greek-Roman colony here. Later, in the inscriptions of the Satavahana Shilahar kings, we find the description of the ancient city of Sopara. India's golden age came in this way.
2.4. Matteo SGORBATI 司瑪竇 (University of Perugia, Italy & Ghent University, Belgium): Wu Rujun and the Buddhist authentication of Jung's theory of the mind: Self, Collective Unconscious and Shadow
Given the popularity of psychoanalysis in the West, since the 1960s Western Yogācāra scholars have referred to the term and concept of the unconscious when discussing ālayavijñana. "In some respects," Tao Jiang argued, "the Western interpretation of ālayavijñana is the culmination of the search for a Buddhist notion of the unconscious" (Jiang. 2006. Contexts and Dialogue: Yogācāra Buddhism and Modern Psychology on the Subliminal Mind. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 10). I would like to present the East Asian Buddhist perspective instead, analyzing the interpretation of Jung's (1875–1961) psychoanalytical theory by Wu Rujun 吳汝鈞 (1946–), a contemporary scholar and advocate of Yogācāra. Claiming a comparative study (bijiao yanjiu 比較研究), he recently discussed Jung's theory (which he termed "shenceng xinlixue 深層心理學", deep psychology) through the prism of consciousness-only (weishi 唯識) doctrine (Wu. 2014. Weishi xue yu jingshen fenxi: Yi alaiyeshi yu qianyishi weizhu. Taipei: Taiwan xuesheng, 409–428). He saw in Jung's concept of Self a similarity with ālayavijñana, arguing that they are both related to the current body and contained those seeds (zhongzi 種子; skr. bīja) that are subject to transmigration and transformation. The Collective Unconscious is compared to Collective Karma (gongye 共業) instead, while the Shadow is understood in terms of secondary mental afflictions (suifannao 隨煩惱). He eventually stated that consciousness-only doctrine can authenticate (renzheng 認證) Jung's point of view. I would like to analyze and discuss Wu's philosophical discourse by focusing on the modernist aspects of his Buddhist "authentication" of these three psychological notions.
2.5. VEN. Cetovimutti (Cong Yuan) (Chicago): A Baby Born from a Cow and a Lotus: The Amalgamation of Buddhist and Daoist Doctrines in The Legend of King Guyin 古音王傳
The Legend of King Guyin 古音王傳 (hereby noted as LKG) is an allegoric novel written by Chan patriarch Chuiwan Guangzhen 吹萬廣真 (1582-1639). This text is possibly the first known Buddhist attempt to explicitly integrate Dandao ideas into the spiritual praxis of Buddhism, which later became a spiritual fashion in the Bashu 巴蜀 area (modern Sichuan-Chongqing). In the LKG, Daoist ideas exert a non-negligible influence on the otherwise Buddhist text in two key aspects: cosmology and soteriology. Firstly, unlike previous Buddhist works on Daoism which insisted that Buddhist cosmology is the most inclusive theory of the universe, Guangzhen complemented the Buddhist universe with a Daoist narrative on the genesis and pre-genesis of the world, highlighting the "blissful" and "ignorant" features of the pre-genesis stage. Secondly, Guangzhen treated Daoist practice as an indispensable part in one of his soteriological approaches, even as he relegated Buddhist practices to the peripheral. Through a close reading of this text, a crucial link will be established between the Daoist and Buddhist works of syncretism.
Panel 3: Religious Arts 宗教藝術
3.1. Xiaofei (Sophie) LEI 雷小霏 (Harvard): Dharani, Meditation, and Mara's Deeds: A Reinterpretation of Dunhuang Cave 285
Constructed around the fourth and the fifth years of the Datong era of the Western Wei (535-551), cave 285 is known as the earliest dated cave in Dunhuang. Despite its symmetrical plan consisting of a square chamber under a truncated pyramidal ceiling with four cells on each side wall, the style and content of the pictorial program on each wall and on the ceiling, particularly the mirroring of the south and north walls, are highly asymmetrical. Such discrepancy between painterly representation and layout on each wall, coupled with a unique mixture of iconographies affiliated with various cultures and religions, has engendered an incredibly rich body of scholarship on the pictorial program of cave 285.
This paper attempts to provide an alternative reading of the pictorial program in cave 285 based on one of the earliest and most popular dharani scriptures at the time of 285's construction, the Dafangdeng Tuoluoni Jing 大方等陀羅尼經 (or "The Great Vaipulya Dharani Sutra") in light of a critical connection made by He Shizhe 賀世哲 between the eight buddhas depicted on the North Wall and the eight buddhas mentioned in the Dafangdeng. A close reading of the scripture, especially its core story, reveals striking similarities between some of its textual descriptions and the pictorial details of the five narratives on the south wall. Moreover, both the contents and, less discernibly yet equally critically, the spatial arrangement of the five narratives on the south wall can be rationalized in a similar way based on these two essential themes: elimination of sins regardless of your past, and maintenance of the precepts in the Dafangdeng.
This paper further connects the intention of displaying the efficacy of dharani with repentance and protection, as reinforced by the merit-dedicatory inscriptions on the north wall, the profusion of meditating figures throughout the cave, and the tumultuous movements of non-humans across the ceiling. As the very first attempt to examine the program of cave 285 within the context of contemporaneous practices and perceptions of dharani, this paper marks the beginning of an attempt to answer the larger question of how to visualize dharani, which is another way of asking how the act of holding a thought can be visualized.
3.2. DING Kehan 丁可含 (Edinburgh): The Syntax of Ritual Formulation in the Song-Yuan Buddhist Monasteries
Striking wooden fish, burning incense, drinking tea with rounds of prostrations, all this patches up a typical scene in medieval Chinese Buddhist monasteries. But what are the messages that these everyday monastic actions convey? This paper will investigate the organising mechanism of various clusters of Song-Yuan Buddhist rituals on different occasions with participants of varying status. It will further reconstruct a gigantic and sophisticated monastic ritual system with permutations and combinations of basic ritual units, including venues, directions, instruments and drinks. Following Leach's proposition that a ritual is like a message arranged under syntactical rules, I will establish a ritual model based on a vast array of ritual units' combinations recorded in monastic regulations (qinggui 清規), to unveil these rituals' governing principles, their illocutionary designs, as well as their functions on doctrinal and institutional levels. This study will introduce a new perspective on Chinese Buddhist rituals and will provide a historical case approach to ritual studies of East Asian that are mostly occupied with anthropological works.
3.3. WANG Kai 王開 (U. of Toronto): Shaping the Faces of Immortals: A Visual Change of Immortal Appearance in Early Taoism
It has been widely acknowledged that Taoism, or the traditional immortal belief of China, has been deeply impacted in the 4th-5th century when Buddhism became widespread. One interesting phenomenon is that in the 5th century, Buddhist visual practices began to be utilized in Taoism. Scholars usually treat this as one of the evidences of Buddhist influence in medieval China. However, because of this phenomenon is contained in a wider context of Buddhism influence, the specific visual connections between Buddhism and Taoism are often ignored unwittingly. Especially when people talk about the visual confrontations between Taoism and Buddhism, intentionally or not, Taoist visual practices would be placed in a relatively disadvantaged status, a reluctant result of Buddhist visual influence. In this context, the original visual logic of Taoism is neglected. If we review and rethink about a few specific early Chinese art works associated with immortal belief, we may be able to recover this Taoist visual logic.
Fig. 1 and Fig 2, two statues from 120 BCE, identified as Niulang (牛郎, the cow herd) and Zhinü (織女, the weaver girl), are considered as the earliest extant large-sized immortal sculptures in China. Through these two statues, people may notice the unadorned character of Western Han's sculptural. These two statues' gestures are integrated into the original stone, which emphasizes the weight and stability of the statues. However, as immortal sculptures, the faces of these two statues do not show any interest to communicate with the audience. Indeed, people can identify their humanizing characters without difficulty. But it is hard to ignore the distortion of their facial physiognomy. The disproportionate relationship between the five sense organs of their faces denies the modern audience's visual desire of having sympathetic perception with these two materialized immortals. For us, the statues are just like two self-satisfied existences, and they refuse to communicate with those who are looking at them.
If we compare the faces of these two statues to the faces of their contemporary funerary figurines (Fig. 3), or even earlier terra-cotta warriors of the Qin dynasty (221 to 206 BC), one may find that at least in the Qin dynasty, people have already noticed the importance of facial expression, and in the Western Han dynasty (206 BCE-25 CE), artisans have already developed the ability to mold high quality bodily and facial appearances. Someone may defend the rough appearances of the statues of Niulang and Zhinü because they were the very beginning of Chinese stone sculpture. However, when we focus our views on the category of early Chinese immortal images, one may discover that it is not only the problem of dealing with the new artistic media, but, more importantly, it seems that there is a relatively independent visual logic in the immortals' expression. This visual tradition continued for a long time until the widespread of Buddhism in the 4-5th century. From then on, the immortals' expressions developed into a very different style that resembles Buddhist visual practices. In this article, I am going to clarify the traditional visual logic of the early immortal expressions. Then, by appealing to some Taoist and Buddhist sutras, two different visual concepts of Taoism and Buddhism will be discussed. In the end, I will analyze some earliest Taoist icons to explain how the new visual concept works in Taoism. Some scholars have noticed and studied the utilization of Buddhist visual appearance in Taoism. In "Lao-tzu in Six dynasties Taoist Sculpture", Yoshiko Kamitsuka made a survey of the development of early Taoist sculptures, and focused on the inscriptions of these sculptures to identify the function of these early Taoist sculptures in early medieval China.4 Hinako Ishimatsu's article, "Ancient Chinese stone sculptures: stone figures of animal, human and Buddha", concludes the development of sculpture in early medieval China by focusing on the artistic media, stone. In the article, she emphasizes the influence from Central and Northern Asia that intervened with the development Chinese stone sculpture. Li Song's A History of Chinese Daoist Art is an important book for understanding the whole development of Taoist art history. In the second chapter of his book, Li Song specifically researched earliest Taoist art works from 5th-6th century, and his work is focused on identifying the dates and the iconographic meaning of Taoist art. Wu Hung also researched on the visual relationship between Taoism and Buddhism. In his "Buddhist Elements in Early Chinese Art (2nd and 3rd century AD)," he points out that early Buddhist images in Chinese art in fact played the role of Taoist immortals. In another article, "A Deity Without Form: The Earliest Representation of Laozi and the Concept of 'Wei' in Chinese Ritual Art," Wu Hung discusses how Lao-tzu, one of the most important Taoist deities, was represented in early medieval China. These studies are important for understanding the visual encounters between Taoism and Buddhism. On the basis of these predecessors' studies, this paper focuses on visual change to interpret the visual practices of Taoism around the 5th century.
3.4. Junfu WONG 黃君榑 (Cambridge): Lay Buddhist Framework of the Afterlife: Scriptural Borrowing and Practising as Reflected by Guanzhong Stele Epigraphy during the Fifth and Sixth Centuries
During the late fifth and sixth centuries, lay people gathered to form a type of community that featured the establishment of stone stelae for religious purposes. Each of these stone stelae contains a sizeable corpus of epigraphical texts that give us access to the religious belief of lay people. Lay people expressed their religious expectations and imaginations of the afterlife through praying for their deceased ancestors. Note that these prayers show clear traces of conceptual references from a range of religious scriptures. Buddhist scriptures became the foundation for lay people to compose their dedicatory prayers. Nevertheless, rather than strictly observing all the details presented by the scriptures, lay people generated their ideological system through consciously selecting those parts and ideas corresponding to their envisioned realms of the afterlife. Fusing a range of unrelated scriptures created an afterlife path that contained three phases as a set that can barely be found elsewhere. Right after being released from suffering evil realms, the deceased could ascend to the celestial realm to receive cultivation. Such a process prepared them for another rebirth at lands of transcendent pleasure, thereby awaiting the final enlightenment to come. By analysing epigraphical sources, this paper aims at exploring lay religious tradition. It starts by identifying the exact types and kinds of scriptures referenced by lay people during the creation of their dedicatory prayers. It also unveils a lay afterlife framework somewhat different from the sectarian side to put forward the idea that lay people actively created their religious tradition. Furthermore, this paper unfolds the lay religious reinterpretation of the beginning of the universe, which also shows their distinctive readings of the identity of deities. Such an exploration embarks upon a larger discussion that addressed the idea that lay people acted actively throughout sectarian development.


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Hero of the Month: Our 2014 Graduates!
September 5, 2014 By ncadmin
The 2014 Durham Y.O.G.A. for Youth Teacher Training brought together 14 amazing yogis for a 5-day intensive with Y.O.G.A. for Youth founder/executive director Krishna Kaur and NC regional coordinator Keval Kaur Khalsa. This beautiful diverse group included two undergraduate students from Duke and UNC-CH, yoga teachers, counselors, and education professionals from Durham, Wake, Orange and Chatham counties, as well as further afield, including PA, MA, Brooklyn, Atlanta and San Diego. Keval Kaur noted, "The wisdom and passion to serve that was present in this collective was truly profound. This group arrived open and ready to receive and to give, and I am excited to see how their service to young people will unfold and transform lives."
Participants appreciated learning aspects of Kundalini yoga practice, the crafting of the curriculum, and the materials included in the training, as well as the safe environment that was created which fostered teamwork and personal development. Speaking about classroom management role-playing sessions, one participant shared, "I loved the practice runs, where disruptions happened." Besides developing fluency with the Y.O.G.A. for Youth curriculum and classroom management techniques, participants learned about the effects of trauma, how it can manifest physically and behaviorally, and how yoga can help to mitigate the effects of trauma. Y.O.G.A. for Youth NC Lead Teacher Jordan Harrell and Alison Pope, Program Coordinator for Y.O.G.A. for Youth partner Communities In Schools of Orange County, visited the course to share their experiences with the teachers-in-training.
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8 Dec 2004 : Column 530W—continued
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the cost of (a) ministerial cars and drivers and (b) taxis for his Department in each of the last two years. [202489]
Mr. Timms: Information concerning ministerial cars in the financial year 2002–03 was given by the then Minister for the Cabinet Office on 13 November 2003, Official Report, columns 397–98W. The Minister for the Cabinet Office has asked the Chief Executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency to write to the hon. Member with details of the cost of ministerial vehicles in 2003–04.
Expenditure on taxis is estimated to have been £163,000 in 2002–03 and £151,000 in 2003–04.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on energy costs incurred by his Department in each of the last two years. [202490]
Mr. Timms: Energy costs in 1 Horse Guards Road reduced by 15 per cent. over the last two years.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the (a) annual cost and (b) total value of the empty properties owned by (i) his Department, (ii) agencies and (iii) other public bodies for which he has had responsibility in each of the last two years. [202491]
Mr. Timms: HM Treasury, the Office of Government Commerce, the Royal Mint, the Government Actuary's Department, the Debt Management Office, the Office for National Statistics and National Savings and Investments do not own any empty properties.
Inland Revenue, HM Customs and Excise and the Valuation Office Agency sold their freehold properties to Mapeley on 2 April 2001 as part of the STEPS PFI contract. Mapeley have assumed responsibility for these since then, irrespective of whether the properties are empty or occupied.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what crèche facilities are provided by his Department; and at what cost. [202498]
Mr. Timms: The Treasury does not provide any crèche facilities. The Department is a member of the Westminster Holiday Playscheme, which operates during school holidays and is open to children aged 4 years 9 months to 12. The Treasury has two bespoke playscheme rooms, which can cater for up to 18 children. The cost per child is £30 a day and the Treasury subsidises the costs by 60 per cent. The total subsidy to Treasury parents using the playscheme is £4,100.
The Treasury also supports the child care cost of eligible staff. Staff who work full time receive £40.00 per week per family, part timers receive a pro-rated amount.
85 staff members receive child care vouchers. The total cost of child care vouchers, since the scheme was introduced in January 2004 is £134,000.
8 Dec 2004 : Column 531W
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many people over 65 were in employment in each metropolitan authority and county area in the North East region in each year from 1997 to 2004; [202680]
(2) how many and what percentage of 50 to 65-year-olds were economically inactive in (a) the North East region, and (b) each (i) metropolitan authority and (ii) county area within the North East region in each year from 1997 to 2003. [202681]
Mr. Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 8 December 2004:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about employment and economic inactivity. (202680, 202681)
The attached table provides the information requested.
These estimates from the Labour Force Survey are, as with any sample survey, subject to sampling variability.
Economic activity in the North East region and each metropolitan authority and county area 12-month period ending in February each year— United Kingdom
Number of economically inactive people aged 50 to 64 years(5) (000s)
Inactivity rate for people aged 50 to 64 years(6) (%)
Number of people in employment aged 65 years and over(7) (000s)
North East 147 42.0 22
Darlington UA 3 24.7 (8)—
Durham UA 31 42.7 4
Gateshead 11 40.7 2
Hartlepool UA 6 44.4 1
Middlesbrough UA9 55.9 (8)—
Newcastle upon Tyne13 41.1 3
North Tyneside 9 32.5 (8)—
Northumberland 16 37.5 5
Redcar and Cleveland UA10 44.1 1
South Tyneside 8 44.5 2
Stockton-on-Tees UA9 41.7 1
Sunderland 19 51.1 1
North Tyneside 10 38.6 1
Redcar and Cleveland UA11 43.9 (8)—
Hartlepool UA 5 41.1 (8)—
Middlesbrough UA7 36.5 2
Stockton-on-Tees UA11 42.0 (8)—
Darlington UA 7 38.6 2
Newcastle upon Tyne7 26.2 2
South Tyneside 10 43.8 2
Hartlepool UA6 47.7 1
North Tyneside10 35.1 2
South Tyneside10 45.2 1
Stockton-on-Tees UA10 36.9 1
Darlington UA5 36.0 1
South Tyneside9 43.7 1
Redcar and Cleveland UA9 40.9 1
(5) Economically inactive refers to women aged 50 to 59 and men aged 50 to 64 who are neither employed nor unemployed.
(6) The rates are based on people aged 50 to 64 who are economically inactive as percentage of total population in the relevant age group.
(7) Refers to men aged 65 to 99 women aged 60 to 99.
(8) Estimates not available because sample size is too small.
Some estimates are based on smaller sample sizes and are therefore subject to a higher degree of sampling variability. They should be treated with caution and, in particular, changes from year to year should not be used in isolation from the figures for a run of years.
ONS Labour Force Survey
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the employment rate is of women in couples where the woman's partner (a) does not work and (b) does work. [203166]
Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. David Willetts, dated 8 December 2004:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about employment. I am replying in his absence. (203166)
Among couples who were both of working age (i.e. men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59) the employment rates for the female partners were: (a) 42.3% for those whose male partner was not in employment; and (b) 79.4 % for those whose male partner was in employment.
These estimates come from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and apply to the three months ending May 2004. As with any statistical sample survey the LFS estimates are subject to sampling error.


Lee van Cleef – One of the greatest actors to have ever lived
Lee van Cleef – whose birth name was Clarence Leroy Van Cleef Jr. – was an American actor, active for almost four decades, from the late forties until the late eighties, retiring a year before his death, in December 16, 1989, at sixty-four years old. Born in Somerville, New Jersey, in January 9, 1925, Lee van Cleef achieved notoriety mainly for his prominent roles in Spaghetti Westerns of the sixties and seventies, of which the most famous is probably the now classic 1966 production The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, where he shared the screen with Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach. On this movie, Cleef portrayed the "Bad" from the title, a malicious character named Angel Eyes.
Lee van Cleef started his acting career in the late forties, after leaving the United States navy. After a series of roles in theater plays, he was spotted by a talent scout, who drove him to a renowned agency. His entrance ticket for the motion picture industry, though, came after a few years, when – after seeing him performing in a play in Los Angeles – famous Hollywood director Stanley Kramer invited Cleef to be part of his next film, High Noon, which would be the actor's big screen debut. The movie – a western starred by Gary Cooper – was produced by Kramer and directed by Fred Zinnemann. Cleef had a very small part, as a character named Jack Colby. The movie was released in 1952. In this same year, van Cleef also debuted on television, appearing in shows like Sky King and Boston Blackie, as well as The Lone Ranger and The Range Rider. In these last two, he would be cast in episodes until the following year.
While this period in van Cleef's career was significant, given the fact that he had managed to break into the movie and television industries, despite being a terrifically skilled and versatile actor, he would very soon start to suffer from a terrible plague that frequently affects people in the business: typecasting.
Lee van Cleef was typecast as a villain throughout most of his career.
After portraying some villains – the most remarkable in this early period of his career was probably the one in the 1952 movie Kansas City Confidential, where van Cleef portrayed Tony Romano, a cold and selfish gangster that, together with three other men, robs a bank, after which the group manages to frame an innocent man for their crime, and eventually this man, Joe Rolfe, portrayed by John Payne, elaborates a highly intelligent plan of vengeance to redeem himself, successfully subduing his antagonists in the end – van Cleef unfortunately became too associated with criminals, offenders and outlaws. He hardly would manage to break out of this vicious circle.
As time passed – more than a decade went by –, van Cleef managed to participate in moderately successful films, sometimes in good and relevant roles, sometimes doing minor parts in not so remarkable movies. His fortunes changed, though, when Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone decided to cast him in the 1965 western For a Few Dollars More, where he would star alongside Clint Eastwood. On this movie, van Cleef plays a character named Douglas Mortimer, while Eastwood portrays a tough individual that answers by the alias of Manco. Both are bounty hunters, that fight to survive the implacable ordeals of the old west. The movie also starred notorious German actor Klaus Kinski, in a villainous role.
This movie – alongside with a handful of others – was the main responsible for giving birth to a subgenre of western movies, that would later be called western spaghetti: low-budget westerns, that were shot primarily in Italy. Lee van Cleef would star in several of these movies, eventually becoming an icon of the genre. In the following year, he starred again with Clint Eastwood in a Sergio Leone production, a western spaghetti titled The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, already mentioned. This legendary film acquired cult status since it was released, in 1966, and became a highlight of the genre.
Lee van Cleef, playing the title role, in the 1969 film Sabata.
By the sixties, Lee van Cleef became an icon of the western spaghetti subgenre of movies, and this status remains to this day.
After these movies, Van Cleef consolidated his reputation as a major celebrity, with his image closely associated with western spaghetti. He would star in several other movies in this particular genre – frequently in leading roles –, like 1969 Sabata, and 1971 Return of Sabata. Unfortunately, he became typecast one more time in his career, but now as an old west though type of guy, and would hardly find any work outside of it. Nevertheless, he found fame and stability, and became recognized as a good actor, that managed to captivate audiences in the big screen, conveying veracity to the characters he played.
In the seventies and eighties, van Cleef worked on television only sporadically. On this period he concentrated almost exclusively on film, since he was rarely out of offers, though invitations to star in movies also started to decline. In 1981, he co-starred with Kurt Russell in the John Carpenter directed science-fiction feature Escape from New York.
Suffering from bad health – more specifically from a heart condition – since the late seventies, in the eighties van Cleef had to undergone a surgery, where doctors implanted a pacemaker. Forced to slow down, he acted in only a few more movies. With an exotic appearance that made him look easterner, in 1984, van Cleef was cast in the main role of John McAllister, a ninja, despite the American name, in the NBC television series The Master. The show was cancelled after only thirteen episodes, and was the last television show in which van Cleef had participated, and the only one he had done in the eighties.
In the last decade of his life, van Cleef was featured in nine movies. His last film was 1988 Thieves of Fortune, a movie directed by Michael MacCarthy, on which he played a character named Sergio Danielo. The actor died in his home in California, in December 16, 1989, at sixty-four years old. Besides his heart condition, he also had throat cancer. With a legacy encompassing almost ninety movies, and more than thirty television shows, Lee van Cleef has left crime and western movie enthusiasts in a rapturous urge of passionate and belligerent grace, whenever he was on the screen.