China and Organ Harvesting

There have been allegations for some time now that China systematically harvests and sells the organs of executed prisoners. Thousands of Falun Gong practioneers have been "disappeared" and this may have been their fate.

The BBC has done an undercover investigation that adds a lot of credibility to these rumours;
See the clip on Raw Story. Also check out these telephone transcripts from an earlier independent investigation. In the interests of even-handedness, here's the Chinese Embassy's weasel-worded denial.

Changing Seasons

Some recent pictures around Arrow River, the fall colours are very good this year. Soon enough the trees will be bare.

Speculative Physics

Here's some delicious mind candy for you. Is the Universe a Hologram?

Hua-Yen Buddhism teaches much the same; the whole contained in the parts and so forth. Not that I really know what I'm talking about concerning Hua-Yen, but I just happened to read the above piece immediately after reading a piece about Hua-Yen Buddhism in Buddhadhamma Magazine. Coincidence? Is that even a meaningful concept?

One detail from the Buddhadhamma piece; one Hua-Yen master built a shrine room with all six sides mirrored and a Buddha image suspended dead-centre. Damn, I want one of those!