lotusinthemud

my kitchen assistant

mmmmm - wonderful aroma

5 lb of finely sliced onion rings, simmering on the Aga, with red wine vinegar and Muscovado sugar.....making Onion Marmalade to give as presents.

m.e./c.f.s - research breakthough: link with retrovirus xmrv

Xenotropic Murine Leukemia virus related Virus (XMRV)

Research Breakthrough News

8th October 2009

WHITTEMORE-PETERSON INSTITUTE PRESS RELEASE (.pdf document)

This evening and around the world, news and scientific web sites are publishing details of a groundbreaking scientific research study that for the first time links a normally dormant retrovirus called XMRV to patients with a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. This virus is also related to a subset of patients with Prostate Cancer. You can read an overview of XMRV in relation to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis here.

According to the study which was published in the respected Journal "Science", over 67% of those with CFS tested positive for the XMRV virus compared to only 3.7% of health controls.

top antiviral herbs

Top Antiviral Herbs

Whether we are heading into a new school year or into the cold & flu season or right smack in the middle of the holiday season, the question of preventing & treating viruses naturally becomes an important issue.

It would be nice if we could start to lessen the chances of contracting these nasty viruses. Luckily, using natural herbs that are easy to incorporate into our diets is an effective way to dodge or treat the common viruses.

Other added benefits to using natural antiviral herbs: no side effects, low cost, safe for children & elderly.

Before getting into specific anti viral herbal remedies, a few words on viruses.
Viruses are infinitesimally small particles that do nothing more than reproduce.
They are the agents that lead to all kinds of health problems including cold, flu & herpes.
Viruses are different from bacteria though the two can be confused by the general public. Medicine has antibiotics which can be effective against bacteria but not against viruses.

However, there are few medications that deal with viruses. Two of the popular ones are acyclovir for herpes & AZT for AIDS. Luckily, there are many good antiviral herbs. The rest of this page discusses anti viral herbs that have general effects against any number of viruses.

chronic fatigue syndrome (m.e.) disability scale

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Disability Scale

  This is an adaptation of the National Health Service Disability Scale, of which is used throughout the medical profession.

You may have seen this scale ‘the other way around’ with 0% referring to severe symptoms, and 100% as fit and well. However this scale is shown in Living with M.E.: The Chronic, Post-viral Fatigue Syndrome By Dr. Charles Shepherd ISBN: 0091816793.

O% - FIT AND WELL FOR AT LEAST THE PAST THREE MONTHS.

No symptoms at rest or following activity. Capable of full-time employment.

10% - GENERALLY WELL.

No symptoms at rest. Occasionally mild symptoms may follow activity. Capable of most forms of full-time employment.

20% - OCCASIONAL MILD SYMPTOMS AT REST.

More noticeable symptoms following activity. Some restriction of capabilities which require physical exertion. Able to work full-time but difficulty with work that requires physical exertion.

30% - MILD SYMPTOMS AT REST.

Limited ability to carry out some tasks which require physical exertion. May be able to work full-time.

40% - MILD OR MODERATE SYMPTOMS AT REST.

Variable ability to carry out tasks associated with normal daily activity. Unable to work part-time in a job involving frequent physical exertion. May be able to work part-time in other types of employment.

50% - MILD TO MODERATE SYMPTOMS AT REST.

Moderate to more severe exacerbation of symptoms following physical and/ or mental exertion. Unable to carry out any strenuous physical tasks. Able to perform light duties or deskwork for several hours a day provided adequate rest periods are provided.

dharmavidya invites you to our bodhi retreat

the dalai lama on vegetarianism

the amida bodhi retreat

We will be holding our annual Bodhi Retreat in December:

Time: December 2, 2009 to December 9, 2009

Location: The Buddhist House
Street: 12 Coventry Road

City/Town: Narborough
Phone: 0116 286 7476

The Bodhi Retreat is held in commemoration of the Enlightenment of
Shakyamuni and the founding of the Buddhist tradition. Always the most
important and exuberant event in the Amida annual calendar, the Bodhi
Retreat has grown in significance as the Amida-shu and the Amida Order
have developed. Four years ago we inaugurated the practice of 24 hours
of continuous chanting at th beginning of the retreat. This year we
plan to extend this to three days of continuous chanting. This practice
provides the opportunity for a complete immersion in the nembutsu. One
can spend every waking hour in nembutsu practice. In order to make this
possible we have scheduled all admission and renewal ceremonies for 9th
December, the day after enlightenment day, to symbolise their forward
orientation. Once the Buddha is enlightened, admission to his community
becomes possible. If you are a present or intending member of
Amida-shu, do make every effort to attend. If you are contemplating an
advance in your commitment, please arrange to discuss this ahead of the
retreat with one of the teachers of the Order.

The provisional timetable is as follows:



PROVISIONAL TIMETABLE



Wednesday 2 December

10.00 am Brunch

11.15 am Briefing for Bell Team

2.00 pm onward: Arrival and registration

6.00 pm Evening Meal

8.00 pm Evening Service



Thursday 3 December

10.00 am Brunch

11.15 am Briefing for Participants

12.00 noon Start of 72 hour nembutsu chanting



Friday 4 December

Continuation of 72 hour nembutsu chanting



Saturday 5 December

Continuation of 72 hour nembutsu chanting



Sunday 6 December

Continuation of 72 hour nembutsu chanting

12.oo noon: End of chanting

12.30 Meal

2.00 pm Informal



Monday 7 December

10.00 am Brunch

11.00 am Gathering

2.00 pm Dharma Talk

3.30 pm Seminar

6.00 pm Supper

7.45 pm Service



Tuesday 8 December: Enlightenment Day

Programme to be announced



Wednesday 9 December

7.00 am Bell

7.20 am Chanting Larger Pureland Sutra

8.00 am Nien Fo Service

9.00 am Admission & Renewal Ceremonies to Amida-shu and the Amida Order

10.30 am Brunch

11.30 am Meetings:

2.00 pm Lotus Ceremony

3.00pm Gathering

4.30pm Closing Ceremony

6.00 pm Supper

Do join the group about this on our Friends of Amida network http://amidatrust.ning.com/events/the-bodhi-retreat-1

amida newcastle - 6th and 13th october 2009

On the evening of 6th October our sangha meeting will include readings, chanting, sitting, tea and chat. We will conclude with the Amida Evening Service.
Next week's meeting will include a Taking Refuge ceremony for a member of our sangha - more details to follow.
Hope you can come along!

not everything is impermanent

In the Udana, which is a collections of Buddha's most important utterances, there is the core passage that says "There is an unborn, uncreated... the deathless... nirvana... If there were not... then there would be no liberation." According to the text it was this passage that made his disciples really excited "until the hair on the backs of their necks stood on end."

Buddhism as presented in the West, however, commonly de-emphasizes this central aspect of the teaching. Buddhist apologists like to present the idea that Buddhism teaches that "everything is impermanent" when the fact is that Buddhism teaches liberation from the worldly domain where all is impermanent. There is no classical Buddhist school that teaches otherwise. Different schools have different methodologies and different styles of presentation, but they do not differ on this fundamental point.

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