Only in India: Audience Members Help Woman Choose a Husband

Audience members at a traditional swayamvar ceremony helped Bhanumati Vyas select a husband by voting for Rajendra Rawal.

Swayamvar is an ancient Hindu practice wherein a woman chooses a husband from among a list of suitors. The swayamvar for Bhanumati attracted 36 eligible studs keen on making the 55-year-old widow their lifelong partner in life, bingo, and whatever else the elderly like to do.

The event featured three rounds. Ten suitors were select during the first round, and three were selected during the second round. Bhanumati then had to make her final decision.

According to the Times of India, Bhanumati made three separate trips to the stage, but walked off every single time. She finally gave up and decided to poll the audience—kind of like using a lifeline on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. They opted for Rawal, who surprisingly enough was the one whom she herself was feeling the most.

“Rawal’s name was at the forefront of my mind, so when the audience voted for him, I took it as divine intervention,” she said.

And so begins a new life for the poor widow. This will be her third marriage. Her first husband divorced her, whereas her second husband died. Afterward all of Bhanumati’s children and relatives abandoned her, forcing her to move into a nursing home.

She tried looking for a man there, but everybody was over 65 and in need of lots and lots of viagra. Soon after she was approached by a member of the Vina Mulye Amulya Sewa (VMAS), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping the elderly find lovers. They helped put together a swayamvar for her and well, here she is now—about to be married to a man who she’s only met once.

It’s quite an unusual way to get married, though I suppose it’s no different than an American dating show merely taken to the next level. Regardless, one has to wonder whether the relationship will last. If not, Bhanumati may have to attend another swayamvar!

http://www.weirdasianews.com/2010/09/03/india-audience-members-woman-choose-husband/

Chinese Armless Pianist Wows Audience

A twenty-three year old man from Beijing who lost both his arms in a childhood accident has become an expert pianist. Liu Wei always removes one sock before playing piano with his toes, and he is so incredibly adept that he has rocketed to stardom after appearing on China’s Got Talent.

After his first television appearance, his incredible poise and dexterity not only earned him a standing ovation, but many observers were moved to tears by his sophisticated execution of Richard Clayderman’s classic, Marriage D’Amour.

“Music has become a habit for me. It is just like breathing air… Whatever other people do with their hands, I do with my feet,” said Liu.

Since the age of 10, when he grabbed an electrical fence while playing hide and seek, Liu has been driven to compensate for his loss. He has learned to use his feet for everything including: computer work, eating, dressing and even brushing his teeth!

For Liu, mastering the piano had always been an elusive dream, and he was determined to make it a reality. He taught himself how to play with his feet when he was 18.

“For people like me, there were only two options. One was to abandon all dreams, which would lead to a quick, hopeless death. The other was to struggle without arms to live an outstanding life,” Liu told the judges on the show when they questioned him about his amazing abilities.

After watching this remarkable video below, those of us with arms and legs may well question what we consider to be “problems” with our every day lives. But we should keep our mouths shut even if answers come when standing next to someone like Liu Wei.

http://www.weirdasianews.com/2010/09/10/chinese-armless-pianist-wows-audience/

Zazen: There’s never been a better time to try a spot of meditation

TOKYO —

Tweeting priests and YouTube videos of meditating monks have made Zen Buddhism more accessible than ever. At the same time, our lightning-speed lifestyles not only beg a moment’s pause—they may also be more conducive to practicing Zen.

“These days, we work more efficiently, we have more free time, and work is not as physically tiresome as it used to be,” says Gerhard Wolfram, a student of Zen since 1996. “This is a great advantage. Hundreds of years ago it would have been necessary to join a temple. But living in a city, there are teachers and places to practice.”

By practice, Wolfram means zazen, literally “seated meditation.” While this cornerstone of Zen Buddhism can technically be done anywhere, a teacher is crucial for getting started and separating authentic experience from attractive illusion.

Most Tokyo temples are not so much flummoxed by foreign faces as they are uncomfortable with the potential language barrier. Buddhist group Dogen Sangha, where Wolfram is now a teacher, is noteworthy for offering instruction in English. Their Saturday zazen sessions include 30 minutes of meditation followed by an hour-long lecture on Soto school Zen teachings.

A quick bit of history: Soto is one of the two main schools of Zen Buddhism, the other being Rinzai. While the former was traditionally (though not necessarily accurately) associated with common folk and the latter with the samurai class, for beginners the greatest difference between the two is likely to be the sitting style. Soto meditators face the wall, while their Rinzai counterparts face the center of the room.

“Zen needs to be experienced first,” says Wolfram. “In sitting, you reach a sense of balance. When you return to daily life, you encounter troubles that can throw off your balance. However, the more you practice, the less these things throw you off.”

The soft-spoken German, who works as a financial controller, says that one of his earliest stumbling blocks was his own goal-oriented personality: “You continue to sit, but it is still painful and nothing happens. ‘How do I see that I’m making progress?’ I asked, but the teacher didn’t answer.” Now, speaking from experience, he says he feels “not so much an achievement as a coming back to an original state.”

American Zen priest Brad Warner, an author of several books on Buddhism and pop culture, adds: “Buddhism is too often lumped in with a lot of New Age nonsense and seen as another escape from reality into some sort of mystical trance state. Buddhism is actually realism. It’s not mysticism and it’s not religion.”

Souin Fujio would probably concur with this. The Zen priest was born into a temple family and has been practicing zazen since before he can remember. “When I was a very young age, it had already become part of my life, like brushing my teeth and washing my face.” This is the goal, he explains: to make meditation a part of daily life—cleaning the mind the way one cleans one’s teeth.

Starting this year, Fujio has begun holding quarterly zazen sessions in English at Kencho-ji in Kamakura. This historic Rinzai temple, built in 1253, was Japan’s first Zen monastery and is home to a number of Important Cultural Properties. The beginner-friendly, 90-minute program includes three 15-20 minute meditation sittings interspersed with breaks for leg stretching, followed by a question and answer session with the English-speaking priest. Chairs are available for those who need them.

Fujio hopes participants can come away with the basics: breathing techniques and correct posture. “A straight back leads to good body balance. Medically speaking, this means lower blood pressure and improved circulation,” he explains. “After such deep breathing, the mind is refreshed and the mental condition is improved.”

Dogen Sangha meets at the Young Buddhists Association at Tokyo University: 2F Hongo Bldg, 3-33-5 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku. Tel: 03-3813-5903. Nearest station: Hongo Sanchome. www.dogensangha.org

Kencho-ji will host zazen in English from 1:30-3 p.m.on Dec 15. 1,000 yen plus temple entrance. See website for registration details. Kencho-ji Ryoden, 8 Yamanouchi, Kamakura-shi. Tel: 0467-22-0981. Nearest station: Kita Kamakura. www.kenchoji.com

The following temples in the Tokyo area also welcome international students. First-timers are advised to arrive at least 20 minutes early for introductory instruction.

—Rinsen-ji: 4-7-2 Kohinata, Bunkyo-ku. Tel: 03-3943-0605. Nearest station: Myougadani. http://homepage3.nifty.com/zazen/english.htm

—Seisho-ji: 2-4-7 Atago, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-3431-3514. Nearest station: Kamiyacho. www5.ocn.ne.jp/~seishoji

—Tosho-ji International Zen Center: 4-5-18 Yutaka-cho, Shinagawa-ku. Tel: 03-3781-4235. Nearest station: Togoshikoen (Tokyu-Oimachi line). http://homepage3.nifty.com/toshoji

This story originally appeared in Metropolis magazine (www.metropolis.co.jp).

http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/zazen-there%E2%80%99s-never-been-a-better-time-to-try-a-spot-of-meditation

Leave It to Congress to Make It Worse

As we close in on the final weeks of the congressional election a new Rasmussen poll shows 62% of Voters feel, no matter how bad things are Congress can make it worse. 19% disagree and 19% are not sure.

Not only 53% of Democrats whose party currently controls both houses of Congress but also the majority of just about every partisan and demographic group feel the skepticism.

There is one exception, the nations Political Class where 75% say if things are not going right Congress can always make it worse and 63% disagree.

Voters believe congressional Democrats will try to pass legislation though they are opposed to any lame duck legislation.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=85400

Video Games Down 10%

For August retail sales of video games did not see anything but a 10% dip.

Microsoft´s Xbox 360 holds the top spot with 356,700 units sold. The Nintedo Wii held the bottom spot, moving only 244,300 units.

No word on when sales are expected to rise.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=85394

McDonalds - the Worst Hamburger in the U.S.

Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, as a matter of fact, hold the whole burger. That is what many Americans are saying according to a recent consumer report that has the McDonald´s hamburger ranked as America´s worst hamburger.

Despite the fact that McDonald´s has actually seen record sales as of lately, the Consumer Reports reflected strong disapproval by burger eaters.

To quote Bob Jones, a 55-year-old from New Jersey, he said, "The burgers taste like rubber." In addition to this, 28,000 of Consumer Reports´ online subscribers ranked McDonald´s 18th out of 18 burger joints.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=85397

Music Eases Emotional, Physical Pain

According to researchers in Scotland, music improves a person´s mood and may help to ease symptoms of physical pain.

Leader of the study, Dr. Don Knox, says music-based therapies tackle conditions like depressive illnesses. This may lead to doctors putting music on a prescription.

"The impact of a piece of music on a person goes so much further than thinking that a fast tempo can lift a mood and a slow one can bring it down. Music expresses emotion as a result of many factors", Dr. Knox says.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=85404