Tricycle | Awake in the World

Alan Wallace, the prolific translator of Tibetan texts and author of many original works on the intersection of Buddhism and science, was a Buddhist monk for fourteen years. He's written a new book, Hidden Dimensions: The Unification of Physics and Consciousness, and you can read an excerpt here. You can also read the three "winning" questions -- and Alan Wallace's answers -- from the latest Tricycle Q & A. The next Q & A will feature Gil Fronsdal, who was a monk in benighted Burma before teaching at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California, where he's been since 1990. - Philip Ryan, Web Editor More »

U.N. special envoy Ibrahim Gambari met with the Myanmar junta supremo Than Shwe in the new capital of Nay Pyi Taw, then flew to Yangon (Rangoon) to meet with the detained Nobel prize winner. Also, Burmese Catholics show support for the protesting monks, now held captive somewhere and being subjected to who knows what. Where are they? Oh yeah, and the arcticice cap is shrinking so quickly even pessimistic scientists are flipped out. More »

Sign this petition to show your support for the protesters in Burma. Show your solidarity, from the U.S. Campaign for Burma Sympathy protests in Japan. A Japanese journalist is said to have been killed by the junta -- will the Japanese government apply pressure? And the countries have the most influence over the junta seem reluctant to use it. More »

Reports today that the protests have been contained and the monks sealed inside their monasteries by the junta, which was quick to use brutal force. If this is true, next come the reprisals. The world can't look away -- keep looking at Burma. More »

The Buddhist Channel is closely following the goings-on in Burma. More »

In a way global capitalism made this happen, if the protests in Burma were initially ignited by fuel oil prices -- coupled with the common human need for democracy? I don't think Bush and co. can claim much credit, but the U.S.'s longstanding support of global capitalism in all its brutal Walmart-enriching power certainly played a role. Is this a preview for Cuba or North Korea? Those countries are semi-insulated from the world marketplace, but so is Myanmar, and the internet and all our increased interconnections are bringing down walls. Could this be a preview for China twenty five years down the road? I think it was Orwell who wrote that if the people want to be free, they can simply do so, like a horse shaking off fleas. Or was it Jack London?... Ah, oil! More »

More on the so-called saffron revolution (even though Burmese monks' robes look more like red.) Violence continues in the streets; the UK Telegraph reports on how Buddhism permeates Burmese life (and thus the people empower the monks); an editorial in the Bangkok Post wonders what Buddhists outside Burma can do. There are videos all over YouTube and the web if you want a glimpse of what is happening. More »

The government has begun fighting back. Two monks and a civilian reported killed. Clubs, tear gas, shots into the crowd, and hundreds of arrests. Update: More, worse. More »

There's so much on these Burma protests and I can't add much new information or insight, so here are some links: Buddhists fear ‘white head’ monks will give junta excuse for violence - 'White head' is slang for new monks whose newly shaven heads are still white, or more specifically, undercover policemen posing as monks. Bush Announces Tighter Sanctions on Myanmar - Cheney had to point it out on the map and tell W it's "not far from China." British PM Calls for Harder EU Stance on Burma and the best headline of all, from the LA Times: The Buddhism Bomb (which could blow More »