Beyond Buddha to Beloved . I could hear my parents in the other room using a handheld tally counter as they recited mantras. In one day in our home, the counter might reach 1,0. They chanted in order to clear their minds and purify themselves, seeking perfect enlightenment in the way of the Buddha. Oranges and pineapple cake were offered in front of Buddha statues in a room designated for meditation. Our home was like a temple. I could hear my parents in the other room using a handheld tally counter as they recited mantras. In one day in our home, the counter might reach 1,000 clicks, or 2 hours of meditation.It's hard to believe that some beloved films didn't find immediate success when they were released, but sometimes movies are just ahead of their time. Here are 11 famous examples of celebrated classics that were box office. As Neymar's penalty kick won gold for Brazil, it was apparent in the favela of Vidigal that the beautiful game has the power to heal this country's divisions, if only for 90 minutes. Those of you who have been to the Casa will be familiar with the Crystal bed - the Entity regularly 'prescribes' sessions on the bed to help supplement the healing process. There are thirteen crystal beds. View image of Rio de Janeiro, Rio, Olympics, quilombos, Brazil, history (Credit: Credit: BBC World News). On each wall hung a Buddha portrait, totaling more than 3. A statue of the Grand Master, revered as a living Buddha, stood at the center of our home. My parents spoke often about discipline, wisdom, and training the mind according to the Four Noble Truths. My father was a science professor, my mother a homemaker raising my two sisters and me. The influence of a Guggenheim Award–winning dad and a so- called . Academics, achievement, and ambition were nonnegotiable in my search for parental approval. Yet outside our home, our neighbors pursued an entirely different faith. As I practiced the violin on Sunday mornings, my attention drifted to the sound of cars pulling up outside. Families dressed in their best would get out and walk to one of the many churches down the block. I would watch them, and then return to the Suzuki method. Somehow I managed to go through 1. Good News of Jesus. I had chosen UIUC because of its engineering program and its closeness to home, plus its diversity and active student organizations. Back in Lawrence, I had been regularly reminded that I am in an ethnic minority. At UIUC, for the first time in my life, I met not one or two but a whole group of people who looked like me, had similar upbringings, and knew what it's like to be bicultural in a white- majority culture. They were the first Asian American Christians I had ever met. They cared about things that were important to me—like living with purpose and having compassion for a cause beyond themselves. Living with them, I began to realize that the Buddhism of my upbringing was not in my heart. There I heard for the first time God's promises declared in worship songs and saw men and women praising him. I soon joined a gig (Groups Investigating God) and began studying my first Bible, beginning with the Gospel of John. The authority with which Jesus spoke amazed me; it's as if his words jumped off the pages, addressing me directly. Early that summer, I attended Chapter Focus Week (a retreat sponsored by IVCF), where I took an apologetics track. I heard well- founded explanations of the inspiration of Scripture, the problem of evil, and the uniqueness of the gospel. After the doctrines were satisfactorily defended, my gig leader recommended that I focus on the person of Jesus, so as not to let my endless philosophical queries distract me from the main character of Scripture. Jesus' display of justice and compassion from the cross made perfect sense, and my reservations dissipated. I found that, contrary to the media's portrayal of it as narrow, crazy, and judgmental, Christianity was the most intellectually stimulating worldview I had ever encountered.
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