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三十七道品

http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/%E4%B8%89%E5%8D%81%E4%B8%83%E9%81%93%E5%93%81

Bodhipakkhiyādhammā (qualities)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhipakkhiy%C4%81dhamm%C4%81

三十七道品 (qualities related to enlightenment)
四念住 (frames of reference, satipatthana): 修行
身 (body)：六种修行方式：入出息、威仪路、正知、厌恶作意、界作意、九墓地
受 (feelings): 观受为苦, 九种受念（乐、苦、不乐不苦；有物染；无物染）
心 (consciousness): 十六种心
法 (mental qualities): 五盖、五取蕴、六处、七觉支、四谛
五盖: 修习禅定的五种障碍，欲贪、瞋恚、昏沉与睡眠、掉举和追悔、疑
四正勤 (right exertions, sammappadhana)
四神足 (bases of power, iddhipada)
五根 (faculties, indriya): 佛法的根本所在
五力 (powers, bala): 五根产生的五种力量
七觉支 (factors of Enlightenment, bojjhanga)
八正道 (Noble Path, Ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo)

三法印 (Three marks of existence)
诸行无常印 (inconstancy)
诸法无我印 (non-self)
涅槃寂静印 (dissatisfaction): 无为安乐

四谛 (Four Noble Truths)
苦谛 (Suffering does exist)：生、老、死、愁、苦、忧、恼、怨憎会、爱别离、求不得
集谛 (Suffering arises from attachment to desires)：
三毒
贪：世人引取各种事物、名分的欲望
嗔：对于一切违情之境起忿怒者，恼怒打骂伤害他人。最恶
痴：心性闇钝，迷惘于事理。或对事理颠倒，因果迷乱。也称无明。最重
十使（十种烦恼，种种苦之因）：
以烦恼得去的难易渐迅而细分。利者易生易断，钝者渐生难断
五钝使（见惑）：贪、嗔、痴、慢、疑
五利使（思惑）：身见、边见、邪见、见取见、戒禁取见。
灭谛 (Suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases)
道谛 (Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the eightfold path)：八正道
四圣谛三转十二行（十二因缘 same thing, different perspective）
初转四行：understanding
知苦；
观察到苦的集起之因；
知道苦的集起之因，而知苦的因若灭去则苦能灭去；
知道苦的集起之因，从而发展出灭苦的方法。
二转四行：action
对苦更深入了解；
对苦因更深入了解；
已经有些许的苦，因为执行灭苦的方法后而灭去；
对于灭苦方法积极的执行。
三转四行：result
知道苦已不再来；
苦因已消除完毕；
所有苦皆灭尽；
灭苦方法已经彻底执行完成。

无常
苦
无我：
人无我：上座部佛教
五蕴：五阴（对应五种妄想─“坚固、虚明、融通、幽隐、颠倒”）
色（形质）：地、水、火、风四大种（四大元素，印度教加以太/空）
受（感觉）
想（观念）
行（行动）
识（意识）
法无我（大乘佛教，因缘）

二执：我执又名人我执，即执著人有一个实体；法执又名法我执，即执著一切法都有实体。

十二因缘（也称十二缘起, Twelve_Nidānas, cause, foundation, source or origin）
interaction between mind and world
无明 ignorance：闇昧事物
行 (mental) formations
识 consciousness
名色 name and form
六入 six sense gates
触 contact
受 sensation
爱 “craving” or “desire” or “thirst”
取 attachment
有 becoming
生 birth
老死 “aging (old age), decay and death”

三科
五蕴，即五种色法：
色蕴，总该五根五境等有形物质。
受蕴，对境而承受事物之心的作用。
想蕴，对境而想像事物之心的作用。
行蕴，其他对境关于嗔贪等善恶一切之心的作用。
识蕴，对境而了别识知事物之心的本体。
十二处，即六根（眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意）和六境（色、声、香、味、触、法），为六种感官及其相对的客观对象。
十八界，即六根、六境以及由此而产生的六识（眼识、耳识、鼻识、舌识、身识、意识）。

般若（智慧, the Perfection of (Transcendent) Wisdom）：空性与慈悲
空性：emptiness, nothing possesses an essential, enduring identity, by virtue of dependent origination
慈悲
摩诃般若波罗蜜多心经
“摩诃”：无边无际的大、心量广大。比喻宇宙万物大自然之间的规律与特质，约略相当于中国传统文化指称的道与广义的命。
“般若”为梵语音译，指通达妙智慧；
“波罗”为梵语音译，指到彼岸（不生不灭、不垢不净），有解脱挂碍的意思；
“蜜多”为梵语音译，意为无极。可联想比如蜜蜂采花酿蜜，能融合众多不同来源成分而归纳为一。
“心”：根本、核心、精髓。一方面表示内容所探讨的主体重心，另一方面也表示全篇内容的重要性。
“经”：字义是线、路、径，引申为经典。代表前人走过的路途、独特而深入的经历或见解，借口述语言或文字记载来传承后世，以供人们做为参考指引。

五行作用：生，被生，克，被克。必为五行

I remember 10 years ago, Microsoft Windows 95 crashed so much that we have the joke If Microsoft Built Cars: "Occasionally your car would just die on the motorway for no reason, accept this, restart and drive on."

Today, most operating systems have become very stable that they can run many days without crashing, but Toyota’s cars, famous for quality and dependability, are crashing left and right, even after re-call service.  Even though Toyota claims it is mechanical problem, but people widely speculates that it is a software bug from dozens of micro-chips in the car.  The computer joke is creeping into my Camry now.

Nonetheless, I think the trend of increased computer use in automobiles will continue.  Ten years in the future, after numerous trials and errors, those software bugs will be worked out and safety laws will enforce software safety requirements.  Another ten years later, because software-controlled cars are so common place and the computer can drive so much faster and safer, some super highways might allow computer-drivers or computer-assisted driving only, like some sci-fi movies.

Meanwhile, "driving one of these suspect Toyotas raises your chances of dying in a car crash over the next two years from .01907 percent (that’s 19 one-thousandths of 1 percent, when rounded off) to .01935 percent (also 19 one-thousandths of one percent)", so I will continue driving my Camry, learn how to stop a gone-wild Camry, and prepare to enjoy the unexpected thrill.

On the eve of Chinese Tiger New Year, New York Times has an article about tiger farms in China.  The author, Mr. Andrew Jacobs, highlighted that the Chinese appetite for tiger parts are the biggest thread to the largest predator in Asia, and the government’s support for the farm is fueling the market.

It is already difficult to stop Chinese from smoking (the leading cause of death, more than environmental caused cancer) due to the social environment.  It is probably harder to erase their demand for something related to health, unless their cultural identities are changed.  It reminds me the human organ market, originating from Israel.

The video link provided in the article is in Chinese.  It argues that the farms are helping preserve tigers, incurring a cost of millions of dollars a year for feeding 1500 in the largest farm in Guilin.  After more than 18 years in operation, it seeks economic sustainability by tapping tigers from natural death (aging and fighting).

It seems to me that might be reasonable, but transparency and supervision are required.  I also need to think through the numbers to see if it makes sense.

One possible outcome, of course, is that Google pulls out of China.  Then there is not much more to talk about.  What if, what if Google does not at the end, wow, what a power move in negotiation and PR stunt.  Talking about the difference between the thread of force and the use of force, starting with no.  Google now has gained the world’s attention, again (outside of the largest Internet user base of China, of course).

But even when Google stays, it needs another power to succeed in China, the power of focus.  China is a primary market in its own right, flock of people and businesses are thinking everyday how to succeed and survive there, purely thinking in Chinese.  Google sure can thrive in the US with all its top PhD talents single-mindedly pursuing product perfection, but can the same products succeed just by putting on a different resource bundle (tech term for user interface in another language)?

It is a given that people living in China think differently from those in America, but not that different and quite understandable if you give it enough thought and are willing to use all available and ethical means.  My proposal number one is that Google partners with Microsoft in China.  As far as I know, Windows (not Mac OS or Linux) is the OS in China, critical for MSN messenger to get a foot hold amid vast users of QQ.  Yes, you are fierce competitors everywhere else, as with Apple and Yahoo, but in China, it makes sense that you two (yes, you Google and Microsoft) work together.

I have not thought through the upside for Microsoft, so my proposal number two is that Google should make China the primary market of the upcoming Chrome OS.  It is free and it is all about online applications (including online games).

to be continued: champion of green tech and none pornography

A recent scientific finding published on the journal Cell describe a gene in female, FoxL2, which when turned off, can unleash the male gene Sox9. The ovaries of a female mice without FoxL2 become testes, producing same level of testosterone as male mice. Minnie becomes Mickey.

That caused me to think some social issues. First, China has a problem with preferring boys over girls. Because of deep cultural tradition and perception of a son over daughter in elderly care, parents want to have boys. But when the boys grow up, there too many boys, and they need girls to get married. What if, with the switch of a gene, the hospital switch the gender of babies when they are little. When they grow up, they switch back, so everyone is happy. It is just like some of the fish which can “switch sexes at times when there is a scarcity of either males or females”.

Second, what if we turn on FoxL2 in male? Will that turn off Sox9 gene and testosterone in male, turning man into woman? It is a fact that, compared to women, men are predominantly the aggressors in the society, causing various social problems (crimes, wars, etc.). Rather than keeping men in prison, what if we give them a gene therapy, just turn off their Sox9? Is this a humane solution?

Certainly, there are broader considerations for both of these solutions. The China population issue, the real solution might be to give people real insurance when they grow old, and to change the cultural view on girls. For the crime solution, education might be more fundamental than mere gender switch.

I stumbled upon Warren Buffet’s 2003 article about U.S. Deficit.  The deficit simply cannot run forever, as it has negative consequences for both the US and foreign countries that are manifested in current economic debacle.  I like Buffet’s idea of using the Import Certificate (ICs), a market-force friendly way, to achieve trade balance for U.S. import and export. The idea is that the US government issues ICs to all US exporters in the same amount of their export value. The exporter then sell their ICs to US importers or foreign exporters to the US, probably in a market.

I have a few additional thoughts on Buffet’s idea.  First, the 1-for-1 ratio is too dramatic to get started.  We can think the ratio as a continuum from the current actual ratio to the target ratio of 1-for-1.  Thus, at the beginning, we can start issuing ICs comparable the current trade deficit ratio.  With a target date when the trade balance should be achieved, say 5 years, we adjust the ratio month-by-month gradually toward the 1-for-1 target.

Second, different countries may have different deficit ratio now.  We can let the beginning ratio to be specific to each country, while keeping the same pace for merging into the target ratio.

Third, we can have an even gentler ramp-up period, where we start the ICs ratio equal to the previous period’s deficit statistics.  When the deficit reduce, we continue to adjust the ratio, but never adjust with any deficit increases.  When the market is warmed up to the ICs, say in a year, we start the time clock to drive the ratio towards our 1-for-1 target.

“I’m a firm believer in luck. The harder I work the luckier I get.” -Dick Motta

Generally speaking, phase change from mediocrity to excellence requires extraordinary inputs, which we often describe as inspiration, commitment, focus, perseverance, talent, etc..  Money per se, without intrinsic value to our life or sense of calling, cannot create such brilliant and consistent energy, except for desire of shortcuts planted into our mind by external influences.

There are two general human drives that can create such commitment and perseverance.  First, you are very poor physically or psychologically, and your survival instinct drives you to extraordinary height, often with some luck elements as in the surviver bias.  Second, you have a comfortable life with no distractions, and you found the passion of your life, which makes you unstoppable.  In success or failure, you charge on, completely obsorbed.

Let us call the first kind of drive the drive of survival, the second the drive of calling.  An ideal society should eliminate its average citizens the drive of survival and provide an environment for the drive of calling.  However, the path to the drive of calling remains squarely in the hands of each individual.

Here are my wish list for Kindle:

1. Password protection (software)
2. Chinese display support (software): UTF-8
3. Content organization support (software): folder or tagging
4. Shortcut setup (software): supports jumping around among several relevant materials across contents in the library
5. Paper version and kindle version bundle (business model): classics needs both paper version for reference and kindle version for reading
6. Tactical navigation (hardware): horizontal slider or touch-sensitive stripe below the screen (next to the progress bar) with a simple, small, and responsive digital display similar to a dumb watch to indicate location in the reading or list.