Dear friend,

What if, by watching a movie you could help a disabled child to lead a life of dignity and development, provide him/her with nutritious food, shelter and education thereby enabling them to march ahead in life?

Now, you can do that just by buying a ticket for the charity show of the Shahrukh-Kajol starrer “My Name is Khan”!!

Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, is hosting charity shows of the Bollywood blockbuster movie, “My Name is Khan” on 14th February 2010, at Urvasi .

This effort, is to mobilise resources for the construction of a new disabled friendly residential school building for the disabled and the underprivileged children in H.S.R. layout, Bangalore.

We would appreciate it, if you could buy tickets for the show and extend your solidarity and support to Samarthanam to realise its mission of creating a just and equitable society where children with disability are taken care of.

Samarthanam inspires and supports the visually impaired, disabled and underprivileged to keep in pace with society by providing them with quality education, accommodation, nutritious food, vocational training, placement based rehabilitation in order to achieve personal independence. Our priorities are disability advocacy, education, livelihood, capacity building, accessibility and environment in order to create an inclusive society free from discrimination.

Choose a time and a venue of your convenience to be a part of this special screening!!

Watch and make a difference!

Urvasi Theatre 9.15 pm, Gold class – Rs.500

Silver class – Rs. 400

Jubilee class – Rs. 300

This would be an excellent opportunity to you to associate with a noble cause as this.

Buddhist thought is characterized by centuries of critical thinking on issues related to the nature of reality, perception and inference (logic). Buddhist philosophy is defined by this special critical approach to the understanding of our experiences of the world. Buddhist logic is the first example of a methodology which attempts to ‘rationally’ understand the relation between the world and our descriptions of it, thus making it the first example of what later comes to be called scientific methodology. This discussion will explore the critical rational aspects of Buddhist philosophy in relation to how science itself uses the idea of the rational. In this exploration, we will discover that the Buddhist standards of rationality are in fact stricter than science – what consequence does this have on understanding the relation between the ‘rational’ and the ‘spiritual’?
Dr. Sundar Sarukkai, until recently, was a Professor of philosophy at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. He is now establishing the new Manipal Centre for Philosophy and Humanities at the Manipal University. One of his recent books titled “Indian Philosophy and Philosophy of Science” (Motilal Banarsidass, 2005) is an introduction to Buddhist logic and discusses in detail the relation between Buddhist logic and the philosophy of science.

Schedule: February 7, 2010, Sunday
10:00 AM – 11:15 AM –Talk & Discussion, part 1
11:15 AM – 11:30 AM – Tea-Break
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM – Talk & Discussion, part 2

Venue: Choe Khor Sum Ling Centre, Ashwini, No. 24, 1st floor, 3rd Main St, Domlur 1st stage, Bangalore 560071.
Contact info: e-mail – info@cksl.in, tel. (080) 41486497, mob. +91 99869 44153, web – www.cksl.in.
The teaching is free and open to everyone.

Choe Khoe Sum Ling, ‘Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma’, is a Buddhist Study & Meditation Center meant for the study and practice of the Mahayana Buddhism. Teachings on various aspects of the Buddhist philosophy and different meditation techniques by highly realized lamas are provided for free.
CKSL was established in Bangalore in 2003 by Lama Zope Rinpoche at the request of His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama. The Centre is a part of the Foundation for Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT).
For more information please visit the Centre’s web-site – www.cksl.in.

BMTC has planned their first ever Bus Day on Thursday, Feb 4, 2010 with a particular focus on 2 corridors – Hosur Road and Old Airport road. The idea is to take the Bus on that day (if you aren’t already taking the company bus or any other bus) and see the difference it will make to traffic congestion and air quality. Vehicle speeds and emissions will be monitored on the corridors to quantify the difference in order to further encourage people to travel by public transport. The campaign is meant to create awareness interactively (as paper free as possible) through an electronic survey and by just taking the Bus!

The Bus Day team at BMTC has designed a short survey and the first way we can help is to fill in the survey online.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGNvOGxYNzdacktOdXpJVFduc1dHVWc6MA

A presentation on The Right to Share and The Promise of Open Video.
What
* Roadshow
* Open Content
* Open Access
When Dec 17, 2009 02:30 PM onwards
Date: 17th December, 2009 from 2.30pm onwards
Venue – National Law School, Bangalore
Contact Name Radha
Contact Phone 080-40926283

CIS in association with different institutions across India invites you to join in the Free Culture Roadshow: A presentation on The Right to Share and The Promise of Open Video.

A Brief Abstract of the two discussions and the profile of the speakers are given below:
The Right to Share: What Does Copying Have to Do with Freedom?

The Internet has unleashed the potential to communicate and collaborate like never before, and the result has been an unprecedented flow of culture and information. Millions of individuals are now sharing and creating culture: copying, cutting, remixing, and participating in new and different ways.
Sometimes this activity is transformative. Sometimes it’s straight copying. In either case, there is a clear connection between this sharing of culture and personal freedom.
This talk will explore how various conceptions of “freedom” have shaped the social movements for free software, free culture, and free knowledge, and how this ideology has manifested itself in real action. It will connect theory with practice, exploring the cultural innovations and political changes that have spawned forth from these movements. Lastly, it will make the case that the broad-based availability, accessibility, and abundance of culture is a good thing for our global society.
Speaker Profile:

Elizabeth Stark is a leader in the global free culture movement. She is a Fellow at the Yale Information Society Project and a Lecturer in Computer Science at Yale University. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Stark founded the Harvard Free Culture Group and served on the board of directors of Students for Free Culture. While at Harvard, she was Editor-at-Large of the Harvard Journal of Law & Technology, and worked on using new media to promote human rights with the Harvard Advocates for Human Rights. Elizabeth has worked extensively with the Berkman Center for Internet & Society and has taught courses in Cyberlaw, Digital Copyright, Technology and Politics, and Electronic Music. She recently produced the inaugural Open Video Conference in NYC, garnering over 8000 viewers across the web. Elizabeth regularly gives talks around the world on free culture, and has collaborated with myriad organizations on promoting shared knowledge and the open web.

Elizabeth Stark
The Revolution Will Be Recorded, Remixed, and Redistributed: The Promise of Open Video

Between news, cinema, television, and documentary film, we find ourselves swimming in a sea of moving images. This has been the story of the 20th century. Yet in this age, the tools for creating and sharing video are becoming widely distributed in the hands of millions of individuals. Desktop video editing software is pervasive; webcams and video-equipped mobile phones abound. Video now belongs to everyone. It is becoming a powerful medium for self-expression, a kind of cultural currency.
How will this phenomenon change the Internet? How will it change society? What questions persist for the architecture of the Internet, and how will public policy address this ultimately political transformation? This talk sets forth a vision of networked video as a truly participatory medium, one that will power the next 10 years of innovation on the web. Dean Jansen and Ben Moskowitz introduce some core technologies for open video, and the obstacles they face on the road to mass adoption.
Speaker Profiles:

Dean Jansen is a Free Culture activist and guerrilla artist based in New York. He attended Harvard University and was a leader in the Harvard Free Culture Group. Dean assisted in teaching media studies and law courses at MIT and Harvard, and has organized numerous academic conferences.
He currently serves as outreach director at the non-profit Participatory Culture Foundation, makers of the Miro internet TV player. His art projects can be viewed at www.notthemessiah.net.

Dean

Ben Moskowitz is general coordinator at the Open Video Alliance, a coalition to democratize the moving image. Ben co-founded the UC Berkeley chapter of Students for Free Culture and taught a seminar on the politics of piracy at Berkeley’s School of Information.
He currently serves on the board of directors of the international organization Students for Free Culture, dedicated to promoting access to knowledge, technological freedom, and participatory culture.

First Star Party of the season! Yet another one in Coorg, with memories still afresh from January this year, We revisit Coorg and it’s stunning skies for a fun-filled trip followed up with a Star Party by the night.

Date and Location

Departing Bangalore late evening on Friday, 20th Nov 2009 && Returning on Sunday Evening, 22nd Nov 2009. The location is a fairly remote place called Keemalee Estate, at an even more obscure place called Karada in the proximity of somavarapETe in the Coorg / koDagu district. The overall distance is around 250KM, Ex-Bangalore.

Boarding + Food Facilities

We expect to stay in Dorms mostly. There’s also a nearby hilltop that we’re told is accessible. In case this fits what it takes us to keep scopes there, Then it’ll be tents for the night. Food (3 meals) will be arranged and is part of the estimated trip cost.

Agenda

We expect the skies to be clear and the night is dedicated for a fun-filled, educative star party. We’ll point constellations, planets and finally observe deep sky objects before we conclude the session with an interactive trivia round from an amateur astronomer perspective. The point of leaving on a friday night is to reach the venue by morning, in turn as to keep the day free for rest or activities around the venue. There’s scope for trekking / nature walks around the venue which lies in the thickly forested western ghats of Coorg.

Who can come?

Anybody, so long as we have place to fit you in. We normally organize transport to go together, so there’s a constraint of seats as far as that goes. Ofcourse, by anybody, we meant people interested or fascinated by Astronomy. Please feel free to welcome like-minded friends or family along. Kids are welcome!

Clearing the Air

a) These trips are not-for-profit. We have no commercial intentions with venues we choose or services we hire.

b) Prices are indicative only. The actual cost might be higher or lower. We provide transparent accounts at the conclusion of each event.

c) Differential prices for non-members go to cover or subsidize the costs of coordinators, volunteers, students and operational costs. Excesses are turned back to the owners.

d) Astronomy apart, these programs are intended to encourage networking amongst hobby partners. Participants are generally welcomed to graduate to BAS volunteers or take part in serious observing sessions after these.

e) Astronomy (Observing) is subjected to weather conditions. We don’t believe in weather estimates, but we try to choose a day around the new moon weekend when we expect it to stay clear. We’ve had star parties washed out before. Weather is a reality!

f) Destinations / Venues chosen are done so with an emphasis on alternative activities, particularly outdoor ones so that they serve as a fallback option in case the weather plays spoilsport.

g) Sometimes, we have to switch venues. We normally tell you as soon as we know. We don’t do this unless we really need to.

h) Sometimes, we need to call the trip off (Maybe because we couldn’t find enough people to work the logistics out, or other reasons). We’ll keep you informed if such a thing happens.

i) We organize star parties, not tours. We don’t claim to be specialists in organizing logistics. Please don’t blame us if we are clumsy at times (Hey, we’ve done this many times before. But it happens on rare occasions).

j) We don’t take responsibility for infants, children, loss of belongings, equipment or any such. You’re on your own.

k) We expect you to stay in healthy spirits by not indulging in Alcohol or Smoking.

l) We expect you to be in your most socially pleasant behavior while with us!

m) Above all, We want you to have a fun-filled dose of Astronomy!
When November 20th, 2009 9:15 PM through November 22nd, 2009 6:00 PM
Contact Phone: 9916435530
Email: info@bas.org.in
Event Fee(s)
Non Member Fee ₨ 2,000.00
Registered Member ₨ 1,850.00
Student ₨ 1,750.00

MORE INFO and REGISTRATION

Extending an invitation to all concerned citizens of Bangalore, to join a common platform to RECLAIM BANGALORE.

Bangalore is today, argruably one of Asia’s fastest growing cities. We are also fast becoming the most polluted, the most congested, the most unsafe on the road. For all the public money spent on widening roads, building flyovers, increasing the number of buses, are we moving any faster, safer or more comfortably? Why are our roads some of the most unsafe for pedestrians in the world? What happened to Bangalore, the garden city? Are we a Sustainable City?

Its time for Bangalore’s civil society to find a way to engage in open and meaningful dialogue with our city planners and administrators. Time to jointly analyze problems and find solutions.

Yes, It’s time.

introducing

MobiliCity

Bangalore’s first Unconference focusing on sustainable transportation solutions.

MobiliCity will bring together urban planners, policy makers, environmentalists and concerned citizens to:

* Find a framework in which to assess our current trends in transport planning and policy in Bangalore
* Look at best practices in urban transportation design around the world
* Discuss the role of pedestrianisation, cycling, mass public transit and other low-carbon transportation alternatives in fostering sustainability
* Promote free, open, goal oriented discussion amongst the city’s civil society

How you can be a part of MobiliCity

1. Write to us with ideas you have on this issue
2. Register to lead a session / talk on any issues concerning sustainable transportation.
3. Volunteer to help in organisation of the event.
4. Turn up at the event and just be part of it.

Date: Nov 21, 2009.
Time: 9:30am – 5pm
Venue: (tentative) J N Tata Auditorium, IISc, Bangalore

For more details check out mobilicity.praja.in

Contact: Manjari Vishnoi 9611348339
send a mail to: mobilicity@praja.in

Lets Reclaim Bangalore!

Ven. Tenzin Gyurme Rinpoche is to explain the practice of ‘Tonglen’ -  exchanging self for others - one of the main meditation techniques to develop genuine love and compassion that encompasses all living beings without exception, at Choe Khor Sum Ling Centre, Bangalore, on September 13, 2009
The essence of Mahayana Buddhism is developing the mind of great love and compassion that encompasses all living beings without exception. In order to do this we need to overcome the usual self preoccupations and tendencies.
One of the most efficient forms of training in altruism is Tonglen, a Buddhist meditation practice when one visualizes giving love, happiness and success to others and taking their suffering. This is done in conjunction with one’s breathing, for connecting with suffering —ours and that which is all around us— everywhere we go. It is a method for awakening the compassion that is inherent in each and every living being.
Tonglen reverses the usual logic of avoiding suffering and seeking pleasure and, in the process we learn how not to cling to our ego. This practice introduces us to a far larger view of reality known in Buddhism as ‘shunyata’.
Venerable Tenzin Gyurme Rinpoche will explain how to practice Tonglen, how not to be afraid of giving away all your happiness and take others unhappiness. Rinpoche will demonstrate how through one’s own suffering one can develop compassion to all living beings.
Venerable Tenzin Gyurme Rinpoche is a highly respected incarnated lama from Sera Jey Monastic University located near Mysore. A brilliant student, Rinpoche has been studying Buddhist philosophy for more than 12 years by now, the teaching will be given directly in English.
Schedule: Sunday, September 13, 2009
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Teaching and Guided Meditation session
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM Tea break
12:30 PM - 02:00 PM Teaching and Q & A

Venue: Choe Khor Sum Ling Center, Ashwini, No. 24, 1st floor, 3rd Main St, Domlur Layout, Bangalore 560071

Contact info: tel. 080 41486497, +91 99869 44153, e-mail – info@cksl.in

Choe Khor Sum Ling Center is a Buddhist Meditation & Study Center for the study and practice of Mahayana Buddhism following the lineage and example of Lord Buddha. The Center was founded in 2003 by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the request of His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama. Courses on various aspects of the Buddhist philosophy and meditation techniques by highly accomplished teachers are offered for free.
For more information please visit www.cksl.in.

Ven. Tenzin Gyurme Rinpoche

This is to invite your organisation to participate in a *Public Workshop on
‘People’s Perspectives on Urban Governance and Planning’* on Saturday, 5th
September, 2009 in Bangalore.

This workshop is being organised by Citizens Action Forum (CAF), The
Concerned for Working Children, Environment Support Group (ESG), Grahak
Shakti, Hasiru Usiru, Institution of Engineers and Slum Jagattu and a few
concerned individuals and organisations committed to democratising decision
making and planning in Bangalore.

Bangalore has had a host of urban governance problems and issues due to
which the quality of life of a majority of Bangaloreans has been severely
affected. We have not had elections to the BBMP for 3 years, and the city is
being run by a body with only administrators with no elected representatives
and with no accountability to the public.

Meanwhile like in the rest of the country, in Bangalore the 74th Amendment
to the Constitution has not been implemented as well. While the Amendment
has welcome steps like the setting up of a Metropolitan Planning Committee –
which will be a single agency for co-ordination of all planning
and activities – this has not been implemented. The workshop will discuss
these problems and other issues like the setting up of privatised governance
bodies like ABIDe and their impact on Bangalore.

The *workshop will be held in Institution of Engineers, Ambedkar Veedhi on
Saturday, 5th September 2009.* We request your organisation to participate
in this workshop, which will be a first step in realising a truly people
centric governance structure in Bangalore, enabling each of us to play a
part in deciding our future.

Please find attached a detailed *Concept Note* about the workshop, and a
tentative *Session Plan*. We do hope you decide to join us.

Thanking you,

Citizens Action Forum, The Concerned for Working Children, Environment
Support Group (ESG), Grahak Shakti, Hasiru Usiru, Institution of Engineers
and Slum Jagattu

* *

Choe Khor Sum Ling, a Tibetan Buddhist Meditation & Study Centre, starts a new course – “The Stages on the Path to Enlightenment” (Tib. – Lam Rim ) on August 29, 2009, from 6.30 PM till 8.30 PM.
Lam Rim is a Tibetan Buddhist textual form for presenting the complete path to Enlightenment as taught by Gautama Buddha. Presented a clear and concise form, these teachings are easy to understand, meditate on and apply to daily life.
Instruction begins with the preliminaries, and then progresses through the essential practices and the view of the Middle Way.
The classes will be conducted ~biweekly on Saturday evenings from 6.30 PM till 8.30 PM by CKSL regular teachers – Ven. Tenzin Namdak, Ven. Tenzin Legtsok from Sera Jey Monastic University.
The course is free and open to everybody.
Venue: Choe Khor Sum Ling Centre, Ashwini, No. 24, 1st floor, 3rd Main St, Domlur Layout 1st stage, Bangalore – 71.
Contact info: web – www.cksl.in; e-mail – info@cksl.in, tel. 080 41486497.

Ven. Khangser Rinpoche is to explain what the Buddha’s Nature is, and how each and every sentient being, can actualize the potential to end suffering, at Choe Khor Sum Ling Center, Bangalore, on July 12, 2009

Buddha Nature literally corresponds to the Sanskrit, Buddha-ghatu – Buddha Element, Buddha principle. It is also translated as Tathagata-garbha or Sugatagarbha, meaning the pure radiant intrinsic nature present in all sentient beings.
The ultimate consciousness of each being is spotless and pure, but surrounded by negative tendencies which are impure. The impurities that taint the mind and entail the state of unenlightenment are completely adventitious. The qualities of the Buddha’s mind need not to be brought about but merely need to be allowed to shine forth. Because they are intrinsic to the very nature of consciousness itself they, and the very state of Buddhahood, will never cease.
The message the Indian prince Gautama Siddhartha brought from his Enlightenment is that each and every sentient being has the potential to bring an end to suffering and discover a lasting and deathless happiness and peace. Through practice each and every sentient being can become the Buddha, the Awakened One.
Khangser Rinpoche will elaborate on how to realize this potential within us through mind-training practice and meditation techniques.
Rinpoche is a renowned teacher from Sera Jey Monastic University, at the young age of 33 he is one of the foremost Buddhist scholars and practitioners of our time.

Schedule: Sunday, July 12, 2009
10:00 AM – 12:30 PM Teaching and Guided Meditation session
01:30 PM – 02:30 PM Teaching and Q & A

Venue:
Choe Khor Sum Ling Center, Ashwini, No. 24, 1st floor, 3rd Main St, Domlur Layout, Bangalore 560071

Contact info: tel. 080 41486497, +91 99869 44153, e-mail – pr@cksl.in

Choe Khor Sum Ling Center is a Buddhist Meditation & Study Center for the study and practice of Mahayana Buddhism following the lineage and example of Lord Buddha. The Center was founded in 2003 by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the request of His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama. Courses on various aspects of the Buddhist philosophy and meditation techniques by highly accomplished teachers are offered for free.
For more information please visit www.cksl.in.