The mountain recluse & the beginning of Reiki

Why is it that in many instances, seekers, seers, Rishis or Saints often heard to have chosen to stay in recluse in a mountains & caves? What is that mysterious part about the mountain, hills & caves that keeps pulling these souls to such a place for inspiration? In many instances, we have seen how these souls found answers to their question, found enlightenment & achieved great many things.

I'd like to start with the story of Mr. Mikao Usui (photo below). The founder of Reiki, an art of healing. By now, it comes as no surprise to you that I am going to say that he, too, found his way towards reaching his inspiration through a recluse into the mountains.




Reiki was an ancient art of healing. It was made possible through Dr. Mikao Usui who re-discovered it in the middle of the 19th Century. This is the story of Dr. Usui's search for this secret knowledge.

Dr. Usui went to America & attended the University of Chicago & became a Doctor of Theology. On his return to Japan, he discovered some Sanskrit formulas & symbols in old Buddhist Sutras which seems to have the answers to his questions. At that time he was living in a monastery in Kyoto, Japan & has undergone training as a Zen Buddhist for 3 years. On one fine day, somewhere in 1922, he finally asked his Zen Master how to attain Spiritual enlightenment after not making much progress. To his question, the master answered in 3 words, not "I Love You" but......"Die one time".
I would have got a jolting shock if people ask you to die when you ask them a question;)

In Mikao's case, he seemed to have understood what was the intrinsic message meant by his teacher and so set forth his journey towards Mount Kuriyama. He went there with a steadfast mind to fast for 21 days until he finds enlightenment...".
(a strict spiritual practice called "Shyu Gyo" which includes meditation & fasting for 21 days)

On the arrival at the mountain, he placed 21 stones to help him take account the passing number of each day. Nothing much happened each day until the 21st day, something extraordinary took place. It was still quite dark at the time when he saw a light approaching towards him at great speed. It grew bigger & bigger until it hit right at the middle of his forehead. He first thought that he was going to die until
he saw millions of colors....." (I'll stop here)

That was the beginning of the Usui system of Reiki which is still around and practised by practitioners of Reiki today. On the way back down the mountain, he stubbed his toe which resulted in bleeding. He held it in his hands for a few minutes & the bleeding just stopped & the pain disappeared. This was the first miracle realised by him after his 21 days pursuit.

Soon after, he was able to cure many kinds of ailment. He passed on his knowledge to others & soon many learned the art & could perform healing too. Such painstaking process one has to go through to attain mastery of a subject. I thought to myself, if I had put in a little effort during my school days, I would have got better grades in my maths. (;)) Anyone know any mountains that are safe from animals & crazy insects?


PHOTO CONTRIBUTION:www.angelreiki.ru

King Kong, Monsters & Giant Humans...

What is this about the size that mankind always seems mesmerised until they come up with such doctored photos in the internet? Does size really matter? (Maybe.... at the right time & in the right place?) When I was small there was King Kong the Movie which was filmed back in the 1950's I guess. Then in the 70's they came up with the same King Kong again snatching a woman & taking her to the woods. And just recently, another King Kong movie was made. This time, the film was modified to include other Giants too such as Dinosaurs, T-Rex, Centipedes etc, etc.

In the 70's we have been exposed to Monsters & Ultraman. In Ultraman, in every episode, there is a monster just waiting for it's turn to come out from the earth. (Back in my own yard, I only see worms coming out from the soil). So, no job for Ultraman over here.

On my way back home, I do come across some banners & advertistments by the road. They are trying to sell products that enlarge certain parts of human body for pleasure or beauty. Nothing about skeletons but the theme is about bigger size here again. Hmmm... I don't know what to say about this, anymore.

HOAX No 1
Recently, a friend sent me a mail plus photo attachments of a news report claimed to have originated in Chennai, India. The mail also had photo clips of the report to "validate" the "news". The media report claims that this ancient discovery was made by National Geographic(India Division). The location of the discovery is said to be from the Northern region of India. I realised that the date was not mentioned. Anyway, I thought it would be an interesting read, so I shared it at this site.

After I posted it, another friend, the Bluesman pointed out the truth about the claims. Feeling disgusted with my naivety, I probed the site & discovered that it is doctored. Immediately, the post was removed from my blog. "No space for such untruths," I said to myself.

Well, today another friend shared with me another mail with giant sized skeletons. Would I be fooled again? As expected, I did some searching & walla...I saw the truth, the whole bony truth & nothing else than the naked skeleton truth. Therefore, the post I cancelled is re-posted with a different title, theme & added hoax relating to human skeletons.

HERE ARE THE PHOTOS OF HOAX NO 1: Skeleton remains of Mahabarata - Chennai, INDIA.











HOAX NO.2: 47 INCH HUMAN FEMUR













So, the last 6 sets of photo is supposedly have been discovered in South East of Turkey at the Euphrates valley where many tombs of the giants were said to be uncovered. Great Find, yeah. What is the next story? Godzilla were actually household pets of the giant humans when dogs were too small to be spotted?

My sincere apologies to my fellow bloggers, TJ, Lita & LifesHighway for earlier posting about the story without checking the authencity of the news.


Suggested Reading:
http://www.historybuff.com/library/refbarnum.html
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/photogalleries/giantskeleton-pictures/index.html

Another Mysterious Mat



Here's another mysterious incident that took place a day ago. A Muslim couple were arguing about the direction of their position to do prayers (Qiblat). Shortly after the arguement, they left the scene to do some household chores. The husband went to bath the child & the wife had some clothes to iron. Moments later, the wife came rushing towards the husband upon the discovery of something very unusual. She led her husband to the prayer room to witness the position of the mat which appears to be a form as though a lady is doing her "ibadah" (prayers). (See photo above)

The news spread quite fast & some relatives brought their compass to verify if the position (Qiblat) faced by the mat is correct direction & strangely enough it was verified to be correct. At the advice of the Religious Officers, the husband folded the mat to prevent muslims to sway from the Teachings of Islam by speculating or having erroneous interpretations of such incident.

Source: Utusan Malaysia


Resurrecting the dead: Benevolent Missionary Association cult.

Life After death has been a subject that has gained the attention of mankind from the days of Yore. From the ancient age of the Pharaohs we have been introduced with Mummies who are yet to awaken from their sleep & their pots of Gold still lying there as good as they were & unaffected by age. But seriously, can men really defy age and reverse the process of death? Is there really is a mechanism that has ever succeeded since time immemorial?

Here's an interesting story! This is a TRUE STORY (news)
Once upon a time, there lived a cult in a far far place (not too far) called Penampang, in city of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. This cult had a leader among them whom they trusted to possess Jesus Christ like powers. About 13 months ago, this leader of Benevolent Missionary Association cult, Ching Chi Vui @ Ivan who was 37 yrs then had died prematurely to causes which are still under investigation.

Yesterday, the local Police authorities stormed at a house in a residential area to find his body wrapped in plastic bag. The condition of his body was highly decomposed & there weren't unlikely any signs of resurrection much likely to take place. Although the body was badly decomposed, funny though that the neighbors did not smell any stench from the air.

The followers were trying to revive him for the past 13 months by inciting prayers tirelessly. At the time the Police stormed the house, 3 ladies were seen busy in prayers. As I read this, I wondered what makes a person go on doing such an impossible feat to such an extent? Is it blind love to the Spiritual Master? Hypnotism? Lower level education thus easily conned? Or the "Master" may have acquired some Psychic abilities that enabled him to perform some tricks or feats which was enough for this people to believe that he was a Saint or a Prophet?

While the "Sisters" were busy trying to bring light to the dead, they forgot to pay the dues to the authorities that provide them light at night. The Electricity & Power has been cut-off for some time but their Operation Chanting continued till the wee hours of the morning. This didn't go down too well with the local residents who lodged a Police Report & the rest was history.

The Final Message of this Spiritual Leader:-
"Not to bury him on his death as he would come back to life".

The Final Say from his avid Follower!!:-
"Do not Touch Him or you may risk his chances of returning from the DEAD"!!

The Latest Progress:-
Post-Mortem is being carried out to determine the "Prophet's cause of Death!

I think this would make an ideal story for another CSI or CSI Miami episode.


SOURCE: The Star

Spontaneous Human Combustion



I have heard of combustible materials during Fire Prevention & First Aid Course, but I find that the term spontaneous Human Combustion (SHC) is a way too mind-boggling a subject. Imagine a person going up in flames for no reason at all. It goes like this: Spontaneous Human Combustion is a name used to describe cases of burning of a living human body without an external source of ignition. Wow...say what? Burning without external source of ignition?


To date, there are over 200 reported cases that has been compiled for the past 3 Centuries. Although, in the past, due to the lack of modern technology, much is depended on hearsay & there is a lack of photographic evidence.

Some Cases of SHC
Case No. 1: Debbie Clark
In September 1985, a young woman named Debbie Clark was walking home when she noticed an occasional flash of blue light.

“ It was me. I was lighting up the driveway every couple of steps.
As we got into the garden I thought it was funny at that point. I was walking around in circles saying: 'look at this, mum, look!' She started screaming and my brother came to the door and started screaming and shouting 'Have you never heard of spontaneous human combustion?' ”

Debbie's mother, Dianne Clark:
“ I screamed at her to get her shoes off and it [the flashes] kept going so I hassled her through and got her into the bath. I thought that the bath is wired to earth. It was a blue light you know what they call electric blue. She thought it was fun, she was laughing.

I was not wearing any nylon clothing [at the time of the flashes]. I used to suffer a lot with static electricity so I tended not to wear anything nylon. I used to crackle with static when taking off my clothes and if I touched any metal thing it used to hurt me. I used to have a lot of trouble with electrical things. They would break down or blow up. ”


Case No 2: Susan Motteshead
In winter 1980, Cheshire, England resident Susan Motteshead was standing in her kitchen, wearing flame-resistant pajamas, when she was suddenly engulfed in a short-lived fire that seemed to have ignited the fluff on her clothing but burned out before it could set anything properly alight.

“ I was in the kitchen and my daughter just screamed out that my back was on fire. As I looked down it sort of whooshed all over me. It was like yellow and blue flames all over me. I was not burned at all. Not even my hair was burned. ”

The daughter, Joanne Motteshead, confirms this account and adds that the fire brigade arrived and tried (unsuccessfully) to set fire to Susan's pajamas.

I had just washed and dried my hair [at the time of the incident]. I used to have a lot when I was younger. I used to get shocks from touching fridges, things like that.


(These first 2 accounts are reported in a book entitled "The Entrancing Flame" by John Heymer. )


Case No 3: John Irving Bentley
Bentley was last seen alive on December 4, 1966, when friends visiting him at his home said goodnight to him at about 9:00 P.M. On the following morning, December 5, Don Gosnell, a meter reader, let himself into Bentley's house and went to the basement to check the meter—since Bentley could only move about with the help of a walker, Mr. Gosnell had permission to enter as necessary.

While in the basement, Gosnell noticed a strange smell and a light blue smoke. Intrigued, he went upstairs to investigate. The bedroom was smoky and in the bathroom he found Bentley's cremated remains.

All that was left intact of the aged doctor was the lower half of his right leg with the slipper still on it. The rest of his body had been reduced to a pile of ashes on the floor in the basement below. His walker lay across the hole in the floor generated by the fire. The rubber tips on it were still intact, and the nearby bathtub was hardly scorched. Gosnell ran from the building to get help, screaming "Doctor Bentley's burned up!".


Case No 4: Mary Reeser
On the night of July 1 – July 2, 1951 she burned to death in her apartment and the nickname "The Cinder Lady" was given to her posthumously by the local media.

The alarm was raised at about 8 a.m. July 2 when Reeser's landlady, Pansy Carpenter, arrived at her door with a telegram. Trying the door, she found the metal doorknob to be uncomfortably warm to the touch and called the police.

Reeser's remains, which were largely ashes, were found among the remains of a chair in which she had been sitting. Only part of her left foot (which was wearing a slipper) remained. Plastic household objects at a distance from the seat of the fire were softened and had lost their shapes.

Reeser's skull had survived and was found among the ashes, but was 'shrunken' (sometimes with the added descriptive flourish of 'to the size of a teacup'). The extent of this shrinkage was enough to be remarked on by official investigators and was not an illusion caused by the removal of all facial features (ears, nose, lips, etc). The shrinking of the skull is not a regular feature of alleged cases of SHC, although the 'shrunken skull' claim has become a regular feature of anecdotal accounts of other SHC cases and numerous apocryphal stories. However, this is not the only case in which the remains featured a shrunken skull.




Possible Causes???
1. There actually was an external source of ignition that does not present itself after the victim of SHC is found.

2. (Unscientific explanation) Paranormal explanations suspicion of to evil ghosts or demons as having caused this bizarre phenomenon.

3. Since every human body contains varying strengths of electrical field and the human body also contains flammable gases (mainly methane in the intestines), an electrical discharge could ignite these gases.

However, Arthur C. Clarke the author of 2001 has this to say about SHC, "There's one mystery I'm asked about more than any other: spontaneous human combustion. Some cases seem to defy explanation, and leave me with a creepy and very unscientific feeling. If there's anything more to SHC, I simply don't want to know.

I have seen self ignited cases as commonly reported during demonstrations where some just douse themselves with kerosene & light themselves up. What a painful & suffocating way to die (I often say to myself when I read such reports). Perhaps, such occurences are pretty rare & there is not sufficient information to find out the exact truth behind this unexplained phenomenon. Perhaps, Science will some day. But until then, these bizarre incidents will continue to baffle mankind who in turn try to speculate with various hypothesis & explanations.

CONTRIBUTIONS:
1. LISTVERSE.COM
2. PARANORMAL PEOPLE ONLINE



The Miracles in Medjugorje



The event that I am about to narrate happens in a small village in Bosnia-Herzegovina called Medjugorge. Here, there are countless cases of unexplained phenomena, miracles and the healing. The claims are that Mother Mary has appeared in Medjugorje every day since June 24, 1981 to present. She has been giving messages ever since to this present day!

They are Messages of Peace and Love, and are meant to guide the followers to a closer relationship with God. Beginning on March 1, 1984, "Our Lady" began giving Weekly Messages to St. James parish in Medjugorje and the World. Then, on January 25, 1987, Lady began giving these Messages on the 25th of each Month. After 28+ years, "Our Lady" still appears to 3 of the visionaries daily (Marija, Vicka, and Ivan). The 25th of the month message is always given by "Our Lady" to the visionary Marija.

"Our Lady" continues to give messages to six people from the village of Medjugorje: Ivan, Jakov, Marija, Mirjana, Vicka, and Ivanka. These six people (referred to as "visionaries") have had apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary since June 24, 1981. In addition to these messages, Our Lady is to give each of the six visionaries a total of ten "secrets" or happenings that will occur on earth in the near future. Some of the secrets pertain to the whole world while others concern the visionaries themselves or their local village. Only one of the secrets so far has been revealed by the visionaries. Our Lady has promised to leave a supernatural, indestructable, and visible sign on the mountain where she first appeared.

The Unusual dance of the Sun....
Dr. fra Ljudevit Rupcic, the Medjugorje apparitions were accompanied by many unusual phenomena, both in the sky and on the ground, especially by miraculous healings. I myself, with about a thousand pilgrims, experienced one unusual dance of the sun. That manifestation was so unusual and obvious, that everyone without exception classified it as a miracle.



Image above: Miracle dance of the Sun (captured via mobile phone)


Dr. Fra adds,"None of those present remained indifferent, which I myself was convinced of by questioning the others who were present. The joy, the tears, and the statements of those present strongly confirmed it. From their words, it could be seen that they understood that manifestation as a confirmation of the authenticity of the apparitions, and as an incentive to respond to the Medjugorje messages by accepting them. And that is the real purpose of miracles: to help people believe and live by faith because they stand in the service of the faith and of the salvation of people."

Regarding the luminous phenomena in Medjugorje, a professor employed in Vienna, an expert in that field, admitted to me that he studied them in Medjugorje for a week. At the end, he told me: "Science has no answer to these manifestations." Although judgment about miracles does not belong to any natural science nor to science in general, but to theology and faith, nevertheless, the judgment of science is very important because where it leaves off, faith takes over. It is very significant that many events were understood by the faithful as a real miracle.

However, it is well known that several hundred of them have been reported and attested to. Several of them have been thoroughly examined and scientifically-theologically elaborated, and there is no serious reason whatsoever to doubt their supernatural character.

Miracle Healing:-
1. The first testimony was given by Nicolo Pacini from Florence. At 13, he was struck with muscular dystrophy that caused his hands to remain closed. He could not walk either when on of his foot got twisted. This then followed with another foot & the other hand. So, he was left with clenched hands & twisted legs. Not being able to walk anymore, he was rather very dependent. Then, a lady came to his house & spoke about Medjugorge. In his dreams, he saw a vision of the statue of Blessed Virgin inviting him to "Come, come!". Finally, he decided to visit the church. To his surprise, the vision he had in his dreams are the exact statue which is right before his eyes.

And in his own words, he explains,"I listened with great attention to the prayer in progress. In fact, it was the Mass, and then it happened: my right hand, which had been closed since May, opened itself very slowly. I came out of the church with the hand completely free, and I moved it perfectly. I was in my wheelchair, but my hand was cured.

The next day, Saturday, December 8, 1990, about 9 a.m. in the morning, we returned here to the church, and I told my friend who had spoken to me about Medjugorje of the dream which I had had of this statue. We went to see it in the garden, and I took two souvenir pictures. At that moment I felt the desire to get up. I got up and everything was normal. I walked and now I am truly well.

2. Nov. 12, 2004 — While many cancer survivors have overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, Arthur Boyle says his story is nothing short of miraculous. The Boston man's fight began when he was diagnosed with cancer of the kidney. The situation became desperate when doctors realized the cancer had spread to his lungs.

Motivated by faith and a determination to live, Boyle made the journey to Medjugorje. Boyle said he believes the journey there saved his life. When Boyle returned home, a CAT scan showed that one nodule on his lung had disappeared and two others had shrunk to an insignificant size. His physician, Dr. Francis McGovern of Massachusetts General Hospital, says the sudden change was certainly uncommon. "He has not received any other additional treatment. At this time we consider him without any evidence of cancer," McGovern said.




Image above: The Dancing Sun


Image: The dancing sun




Video above: Miracles of the sun 2013


Message of Our Lady Medjugorje on April 2, 2015


Dear Children,
I have chosen you, my apostles, because all of you carry something beautiful within you. You can help me to have the love, for the sake of which my Son died and then resurrected, win anew.

Therefore, I am calling you, my apostles, to try see something good in every creature of God, in all of my children and to try understand them. My children, you are all brothers and sisters through the same Holy Spirit. You filled with love for my Son, can speak of what you know to all those who have not come to know that love. You have come to know the love of my Son. You have comprehended His Resurrection, with joy you cast your gaze towards him.


My motherly desire is for all of my children to be united in love for Jesus. Therefore, I am calling you, my apostles, to live with the Eucharist with joy because in the Eucharist, my Son gives Himself to you anew and with his example shows the love and sacrifice towards the neighbor.Thank you."
 

SOURCES:
1. Medjugorje.org
2. Medjugorjeusa.org/miracles

3. The Javier Clan

Out of Body Experiences...


Have you ever had a dream as if you were flying? Have you seen yourself floating in mid-air & watching yourself sleep. Have you had dreams of seeing yourself walking through solid barriers? If you have answered "Yes" to any one of these questions above, chances are that you might just have recalled one of your own "Out-of-Body-Experiences" (aka OOBE).

Understanding OOBE?
When your spirit body detaches from your physical body, that is the beginning of your journey. Many who have had such an experience do claim to have seen a silver thread or cord connecting from their physical body to their astral body. People who are departed are reported as not possessing this "silver cord".




Near Death Experiences
Some have reported seeing their body when undergoing surgery or operation. Some people have experienced seeing their liveless body during an accident. A friend of my brother once told my brother that he saw himself floating in mid-air after an accident. He saw onlookers at the scene, his vehicle & his own body lying on the road...lifeless. On seeing his own body, he was so shocked and the next moment he was gasping for breath & full of pain.

Can you see a person who is in Astral Form?
No. Not directly. You either have to be a "Clairvoyant" or in an Astral form yourself to see another person in his Astral Form.

Can you induce yourself for an out of body experience?
Yes. There are many techniques available. One of the prominent figure in this subject, Monroe has developed some techniques to achieve this.

So, what would you be able to do when you are having an Out of Body Experience?




1. Able to Leap Tall Bulidings in a Single Bound;
(Move)Faster than a Single Bullet
.....just like a Superman, but there won't be anyone to see you do that.
Nope, you can't stop moving trains like Spiderman or Superman either ;)




2. Able to walk through the Great Wall of China just like David Copperfield.
But there won't be anyone to cheer you at the end of your feat ;)
Cos' there will be no one watching you.
Maybe dead spirits wondering what you are trying to achieve :)

3. Vacations for FREE.
Able to travel to exotic places...Pyramid, Hawaii or anywhere!
No flight charges or duty charges. No passports required.
It has become a borderless world, just like the internet.

4. Become an astronaut without a space shuttle. Fly right to the destination.

5. Meeting Spiritual Masters.
This is interesting.


Now, ..... me doing Astral travelling? Nay, Never!
I have been excited about it when I was 15 yrs old. I had tried several methods but never succeeded. It is a spooky experience. I wouldn't advice this to anyone who is afraid of ghosts.

Contribution
1. Beamsinvestigations
2. Near-death.com
3. Supermanfanart
4. Nifty.com


The mystery of the Floating Mat in Mosque

Just 3 days ago a mystifying incident took place in a mosque in Trengganu, Malaysia. The Crystal Mosque, as it is known, has attracted quite a lot of local public interest after the strange incident took place. Thanks to the advancement of Technology, a lady was able to capture this incident with her mobile phone camera.


The photo shows the carpet slowly inching, oblivious to the man, in prayers.

The photo has sparked fears among the rural folks who might believe it to be the work of evil spirits or genies, haunting the mosques. However, the chief "Imam", Uztaz Azizi Saidi dismisses this as hardly a phenomenon. He claims that such occurences have also taken place in Saudi Arabia. He believes that this is a sign that Muslims are distancing themselves from prayers.

(Source: The Star, June 30th, 2009)


The Lost City of Kota Gelanggi

The Lost city of Kota Gelanggi was detected by satelite maps which confirms the existence of these structures and visible on site. "MACRES" or Malaysian Centre for Remote Sensing revealed this. Refer to the photo below. This structure apparently matches with the aerial photographs taken by a Canberra based independent researcher, Raimy Che Ross. The satelite image proves that these structures are even larger than earlier presumed. Raimy believes he has found the lost city of Kota Gelanggi. He says, "Call it by any other name, but this is definitely the Lost City of Kota Gelanggi.



A Kuala Lumpur-based Geographical Information System (GIS), mapping and remote sensing consultant who analysed the satellite image further attested to this. They reveal, "Johor (southern state of peninsular Malaysia) does not have natural rock formations and what is seen in the satellite image is man-made. The lines could be walls or trenches," he said. But, besides supporting this hypothesy, they don't rule out former logging trails, fluvial networks caused by receding waters of a dam which is the result of sedimentation.




On the possibility that some of the lines seen on the satellite image were modern-day fences, the consultant said, "Fences are never built around dams in the country. I suspect these could be 'fences' built long ago." He said it was necessary for the authorities to go and verify the authenticity of the site.

Theories and theories......
Scholars & Historians are speculating:-
1. That the city was part of the "Ayuthia Kingdom" (Ancient Siam now known as Thailand) & may be the unidentified Naksat city of the Siamese folklore. Hence, the the word "Gelanggi" could be a mispronounciation of the Thai word "Ghlong-Keow" meaning box of emeralds or treasury of jewels.

2. The Malay annal, "Sejarah Melayu" (meaning History of Malay) has mentioned that the main fort of Kota Gelanggi was made of black stone & was named "Kota Batu Hitam" in Malay meaning "Black Rock City". Sejarah Melayu is a 17th Century Malay text.

3. Ancient Tamil inscriptions otherwise inform us that during the era of south Indian Chola Dynasty in 1025, after destroying the Malay Kingdom, Gangga Nagara.
(Some time ago, I wrote about the "the Bujang Valley" finding leading to ancient Indian settlers in the northern part of peninsular Malaysia)

 4. Local Folklore:
According to the locals, Kota Gelanggi was a Kingdom. The King of Gelanggi had a very beautiful daughter. The princess was engaged to Raja Mambang. Many other Kings from the neighboring countries proposed to marry her. A war broke out between Raja Mambang, the princess's fiance with another King, Raja Rusul from Bera. The city was destroyed in the war.

Conclusive Finding?
On April 28th 2006, the Malaysian National News Service (Bernama) reported that the "Lost City does not exist". Khalid Syed Ali, the Curator of Archaeology in the Department's Research and Development Division, said a team of government appointed researchers carried out a study over a month in July last year [2005] but found no trace of the "Lost City".

However, Khalid later added that 'the Heritage Department (Jabatan Warisan) does not categorically deny that it exists, only that research carried out until now [over the month of July] has not shown any proof that can verify the existence of the ancient city of Linggiu [sic]' (Azahari Ibrahim, 'Kota Purba Linggiu: Antara Realiti dan Ilusi', Sejarah Malaysia, July-August 2006, p.37). When pressed for details, he revealed that Che-Ross was not involved in the museum's search team for the lost city.
(........hmm why do i smell a dead rat?)

New findings in 2008.
Late in May 2008, the Malaysian Press reported the discovery of an ancient bronze vessel or Kendi near a river close to Mentakab, Pahang Darul Makmur that may be connected to the ancient city of Kota Gelanggi in Johor Darul Takzim. Both sites are linked by a network of rivers once believed to form a trans-peninsular trading route cutting across the Malay Peninsula. (Ahem.... Heritage Dept, any comments? ;)

It does not really matter to which culture/people/religion the "Black Rock city" belongs. It can be a Malay, Thailand, Hindu, Portuguese, Punjabi, Australian aborigines, Africans, Kunta Kinte, Ku Klux Klan, Mongolians, red indians, black indians, yellow indians, purple indians or......whatever.....!Hmm...our future generations have a right to know, too. History ought to be told as it is and not be swept under the carpet. Not disclosing the find just proves the shallowness of the mind of those concerned with this task at hand.

Next: Discovering the Gua Kota Gelanggi (The caves of Gelanggi City)



The caves of Kota Gelanggi is located in the district of Jerantut, Pahang is fast gaining popularity as a tourist spot. This site is managed by Felda and the entry cost is only a meager RM3 for children and RM5 for adults. According to the officials, in 1998, there were excavation works carried out at this spot and also the neighboring caves where some artifacts were have been discovered.

Image above: Signboard showing the names and distance of the neighboring caves

Image above: Driving through to the site of Gua Kota Gelanggi
Image: A view from inside the cave
Image above: Inside the cave
Image above: Another view from the cave
Image above: Pottery shreds from Tongkat Cave
Image above: Shells believed to be food remnant found at Gua Angin (Air Cave)
Image above: Polished stone axe found in Gua Angin

Swami Vivekananda's sayings...
















When I Asked God for Strength
He Gave Me Difficult Situations to Face

When I Asked God for Brain & Brown
He Gave Me Puzzles in Life to Solve

When I Asked God for Happiness
He Showed Me Some Unhappy People

When I Asked God for Wealth
He Showed Me How to Work Hard

When I Asked God for Favors
He Showed Me Opportunities to Work Hard

When I Asked God for Peace
He Showed Me How to Help Others

God Gave Me Nothing I Wanted
He Gave Me Everything I Needed

- Swami Vivekananda


Predicting a Tsunami (Part 2)

Tsunamis are not confined to sea & ocean. It can also occur in inland lakes caused by landslides. Most of the tsunamis that was caused by the sea are generated by earthquakes. Yesterday, there were 2 separate incidents of quake reported. They were both moderate in nature. The 1st incident of quake hit the coast of Philippines at a magnitude of 5.1, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. Certainly, no tsunamis triggered. The 2nd quake yesterday hit in Sulawesi province, Indonesia with a magnitude of 5.9.

Could there be another tsunami on July 22nd, 2009?Before we go on trying to speculate about the possibilty of another Tsunami, lets have a look at some facts about tsunami in the past. I have organised it in a question & answer format to stress some important points about this subject. It took me a few days to compile this and a few hours of sleep daily. It is finally out:-

1. Does all earthquakes lead to tsunami?Answer: No. This is too obvious a question with an obvious answer. Only quakes or landslides affecting the water such as the sea, lake or a water dam causes it.
2. Then, if an earthquake occurs in the coast will it then trigger a tsunami?Answer: Not necessarily so. Another simple question with an obvious answer known to many.
3. Does a tsunami occurs itself without any contributing cause?Answer: No. Tsunami is not a natural disaster that can trigger itself without a contributing agent such as landslides or quakes.
4. Are there records of tsunami in ancient days?Answer: Yes. In 373 BC, it has struck in Helike, a city in Greece. As a result, the city was permanently submerged by sea. This city was believed to be just 2km away from the sea. Many ancient writers have commented about this incident. The narration by these writers could have inspired Plato to the myth of the Atlantis.
5. Is there a co-relation between the manitude of an earthquake to the height of a tsunami?Answer: Not accurate. The height of a tsunami wave is not necessarily influenced by the magnitude of an earthquake. There are no corelation between the magnitude of the earthquake to the height of waves it creates.
Example: The Great Chilean earthquake in 1960 recorded a 9.5 in magnitude. The highest height of the wave recorded was only 25 meters (less than 100 feet) in the Pacific ocean. A total of 6000 people lost their lives in this tragedy.

6. What is the fastest triggering time of a tsunami from the onset of an earthquake?Answer: Within 2 ~ 5 minutes from the onset of 7.8 magnitude quake in Okushiri, Japan. This took place in 1993.
Many local wrongly underestimated that they had enough time judging from similar incident in 1983 that took 17 minutes to arrive. They were gravely mistaken when they choose to fled by car over the narrow lanes in the village. They NEVER did reach across.

7. What is the greatest height of a tsunami ever recorded?Answer: Interesting question.
The Highest Tsunami ever recorded till this day is the "Lituya Bay Tsunami" which occured in 1958 caused by an earthquake magnitude of 8.3 on Richter scale.
How it started: The earthquake rocked a small inlet in Alaska called the Lituya Bay. Then, what followed was a part of the mountain at the back of the bay collapsed creating a landslide which then caused a MEGATSUNAMI measuring 1 742 feet!!!
It only killed 2 people from 2 separate boats. The amazing thing that happened here is that a father & his son both in the same boat was carried above the forest & the waves later washed back to the bay, bringing them both alive.

8. Which country has experienced the highest number of tsunami?Answer: Japan. Records has it that a total number of 195 tsunamis have hit this country since it first occured at year 684 AD during the Great Hakuho Period.
9. Has there been any preventive walls built to protect against the tsunami?Answer: Yes. It was a successful attempt. It was built in the coastal village of Taro, now a part of Miyako City, Japan in 1958. The result: The wall saved this village from the Chilean tsunami 2 years later.
10. Has the tsunami ever occured on any prominent dates?Answer: Oh, yes it did.

i) On the April Fool's Day in 1946, it struck in Aleutian Islands, Hawaii which killed 159 people in Hawaii & 5 people in Alaska. It is known as the April Fools Day Tsunami in Hawaii due to people thinking the warnings were an April Fool joke.

ii) The Good Friday Tsunami ~ Occured on March 27, 1964 which hit Alaska, British Columbia, California & coastal Pacific Northwest towns. This was a "Biggie" with a quake magnitude of 9.2 with waves as high as 100 feet killing 132 people.

11. Has there been any tsunami on the same dates?Answer: Yes. April 2nd.
i) April 2nd, 1868: Hawaii
ii)April 2nd, 2007: Solomon Islands

12. Has there been any tsunami originating other than the sea/ocean?Answer: Yes. The Vajont Dam Megatsunami, in Italy.
On October 1963, an enormous landslide of approximately 260 million cubic metres of forest, earth & rock fell in the reservoir at the speed of 110 km/hour (68 mph). It caused 50 million cubic meters of water spillage from this highest dam in the world.
It created a 250 meter high tsunami wave killing almost 2000 people.

13. Which was the deadliest tsunami of them all?Answer: Indian ocean tsunami on December 26, 2004 which took approximately 300 000 lives. It was caused by 2nd largest earthquake in history recording 9 ~ 9.3 magnitude. The highest wave was approximately 108 feet/33 metres.
Now, after inspecting the details at the top, lets look at this prediction once again:

...............Start of prediction..................
Just a warning..!

"Hello there. I just wanted 2 let you know that please stay away from the beaches all around in the month of July. There is a prediction that there will be another tsunami hitting on July 22nd. It is also when there will be sun eclipse. Predicted that it is going 2 be really bad and countries like Malaysia (Sabah & Sarawak), Singapore, Maldives, Australia, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Philippines are going 2 be badly hit.

Please try and stay away from the beaches in July. Better 2 be safe than sorry. Please pass the word around. Please also pray for all beings."

Please be more cautious as the warnings has been given.

cid:image001.jpg@01C9B6A9.0B499630.


...........End of Prediction.................

Not all predictions are correct no matter how evidence supports them. After the deadliest tsunami of all, the Indian ocean tsunami on 26th December 2004, it was followed by strong tremors right until March 2005. This prompted a lot of attention on warning detectors to avoid catching people off-guard.

In 2005, there was an article from the National Geographic warning of another tsunami soon. Well, it is now 4 years later and that soon never came soon enough. Thank God for that. In 2005, seismologists at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland cautioned "The earthquake- and tsunami-battered region of Sumatra, Indonesia, is at risk for more temblors and killer waves" on June 8th, 2005. They further said, ""We should assume it will happen in the near future and do as much as quickly as we can. For governments to take their eye off the ball of preparedness would be irresponsible."

For more details: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/06/0608_050608_sumatra.html


Now, do you think there will be another TSUNAMI on July 22nd, 2009?

Predicting a Tsunami...?

LOL. Here we go again. All we need now is another Tsunami prediction. Some people are going bonkers over this prediction.
Check this one out:

Just a warning..!
"Hello there. I just wanted 2 let you know that please stay away from the beaches all around in the month of July. There is a prediction that there will be another tsunami hitting on July 22nd. It is also when there will be Sun eclipse. Predicted that it is going 2 be really bad and countries like Malaysia (Sabah & Sarawak), Singapore, Maldives, Australia, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Philippines are going 2 be badly hit.

Please try and stay away from the beaches in July. Better 2 be safe than sorry. Please pass the word around. Please also pray for all beings."
Please be more cautious as the warnings has been given.

cid:image001.jpg@01C9B6A9.0B499630.



.........End of Tsunami Warning............

However, the Hawaii based NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre's Geophysicist, Mr. Gerard Fryer says there is no scientific reason for big earthquake or a tsunami to occur in July. He further reiterates that great earthquakes do not correlate with eclipses, lunar phases or the moon's closest approach to Earth. This was his answer in response to the rumours that is going around like the one above.

He further states that:-

~there are about 10 earthquakes a day exceeding magnitude of 5.

~the usual argument is that eclipses impose an unusual gravitation attraction on the earth's crust. However, variations in gravity cannot influence earthquakes because in an earthquake, the 2 sides of a vault moves in opposite directions. Gravity, on the other hand, will pull both sides the same way. Therefore, pulling both sides in the same direction is neither going to increase or decrease the problem of an earthquake.

...............End of Gerard Fryer's comments........

This reminds me of the hoax prediction that was made about 3 months just after the worst tsunami on December 26th, 2004. Somewhere in March 2005, it was predicted that a Giant tsunami will sweep the shores (I can't really recall that date). Warnings were circulated vie e-mails. And, 5 years ago, YES, I went to the beach which is hardly a kilometer away from my house to witness it. What a sucker I was then?

Off the Tsunami topic to present Economic RecessionAnyway, if those of you who need something to worry, maybe the current economic recession will be worth it. Having trouble with inflated prices & limited purchase power? Maybe you can try this: If you are a smoker & drink beverages & snacks 3 times a day? You may want to do some calculation. A cigarette pack a day may cost $10 & 3 light drinks like Cola (beer is even more costlier if daily) say $6? (Approximate figure)

So, per day = $16
per month = $480
per Year = $5760.00

And THAT is a figure certainly is worth worrying about if you are one with very little control of the habit. The staggering amount above could be saved for a vacation trip or straight into your future saving if you QUIT SMOKING & replace your coffee with plain warm water. It's healthier lifestyle & caffeine FREE too ;)

Take care. And if you decide to quit smoking after reading this post....
My Best Wishes to You and Wish that You Will Succeed in Your Endeavour.
......May the Force be With You....;)

(In my next post, it is back to the subject of tsunami. In part 2, there will be some interesting facts about tsunamis)



The Unnoticeable Miracles Surrounding Us Daily.

I came across this piece of story from the net. I thought "how true" after going through it. We pass through each day, not noticing the slightest sprinkle of miracles that guide mankind daily. The awesome sunrise and the sunset, the rain, the weather, the wonderful nature ~ rivers, waterfalls, sea, hills and mountains, the goodness of mankind (forget the bad ones), the day & the nightfall each has it's role to play in this mystique filled earth.

The story goes as reported:-
A few years ago in downtown Denver, my friend, Scott, and I saw something tiny and insignificant that changed the world, but no one else even seemed to notice.

It was one of those beautiful Denver days.
Crystal clear, no humidity, not a cloud in the sky.
We decided to walk the ten blocks to an outdoor restaurant rather than take the shuttle bus that runs up and down the Sixteenth Street Mall.
The restaurant, in the shape of a baseball diamond, was called The Blake Street Baseball Club.

The tables were set appropriately on the grass infield.
Many Colorful pennants and flags hung limply overhead.
As we sat outside, the sun continued to beat down on us and it became increasingly hot.

There wasn't a hint of a breeze, and heat radiated up from the tabletop.
Nothing moved, except the waiters, of course.
And they didn't move very fast either.
After lunch, Scott and I started to walk back up the mall.

We both noticed a mother and her young daughter walking out of a card shop toward the street. She was holding her daughter by the hand while reading a greeting card. It was immediately apparent to us that she was so engrossed in the card that she did not notice a shuttle bus moving toward her at a good clip.
She and her daughter were one step away from disaster when Scott started to yell. He hadn't even gotten a word out when a breeze blew the card out of her hand and over her shoulder.

She spun around and grabbed at the card, nearly knocking her daughter over.
By the time she picked up the card from the ground and turned back around to cross the street, the shuttle bus had whizzed by her.

She never even knew what almost happened.

To this day, two things continue to perplex me about this event: Where did that one spurt of wind come from to blow the card out of that young mother's hand?
There had not been a whisper of wind at lunch or during our long walk back up the mall.

Secondly, if Scott had been able to get his words out, the young mother might have looked up at us as they continued to walk into the bus. It was the wind that made her turn back to the card in the one direction that saved her life and that of her daughter.

The passing bus did not create the wind.
On the contrary, the wind came from the opposite direction.
I have no doubt it was a breath from God protecting them both.
But the awesomeness of this miracle is that she never knew.
As we continued back to work, I wondered how God often acts in our lives without our being aware.
The difference between life and death can very well be a little thing.

~ Author Unknown ~

The Short Stay in Enlightenment-by Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji





















This incident was narrated 23 yrs ago by a Spiritual Master, Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji. It was a message to the students who participated in the Kriya Yoga class at "The Centre of the Light" in Massachusetts, USA. It is about a man's journey towards Self-Realisation or some call it Moksha or Nirvana. The story has a message. The message is that with dilligent practice, perseverance and patience in anything, one can see improvement that leads to perfection in the due course of time. Perfection is not something that one can achieve in such short time, irrespective of whether the field is in Electronics, IT, habit breaking, improving one's attitude, sports or even moksha in this case.

The incident as narrated by Swamiji.
Some people ask Swamiji, "I am Swamiji's devotee for 10 years. I have been associated with Swamiji for 15 years. I WANT BLISS. I WANT ENLIGHTENMENT. But, Swamiji didn't give anything. I am following Swamiji for so many years. "Swamiji, you must give something!"

There is one particular devotee from Germany. I don't recall his name. He said,

The Devotee: " I have been following Swamiji for 10 to 12 years. I want enlightenment. I gave so much money to Swamiji. I gave so many things. I have done so much service. I want enlightenment. Swamiji promised that he would give me something. You didn't give me anything for the last 10 years. My life is wasted. My time is wasted. I don't go to any gurus (guru means Spiritual Master). I don't believe in any books. I BELIEVE ONLY IN SWAMIJI. I BELIEVE. I ADORE SWAMIJI,"

Swamiji: That is how he is thinking. After 10 years, he has become "crazy" (lost control of his emotions). He came up to Swamiji at a meeting. Everybody got upset. But, Swamiji was not upset. Swamiji asked, "OK. WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

The devotee: "I want enlightenment".

Swamiji: Your time has not come.

The devotee (complains): Every year, Swamiji says, "Not yet, not yet, not yet. When?

Swamiji: I don't know. Simply follow. Do meditation. Do your work and serve your mother.

The devotee (complains again): "Why are you always giving me this same advice? I don't believe in any other guru. I believe ONLY IN YOU.."

Then things started to happen....
At this point, Swamiji spontaneously acted by simply touching the devotee's forehead and said, "OK, I give enlightenment."

Upon getting the Swamiji's touch, the devotee left the place.
He took his mother and drove away in his car. He had hardly reached only a mile and strange things soon began to unravel. In that mile, he saw many Swamiji's with beard. Thousands and thousands and thousands of Swamiji's can be seen. And the car he is driving - that is also Swamiji's body. He then looked at his mother, and she too looked like Swamiji.

(A great pressure was building in his head. So, he decided to return to see the Swamiji)

The devotee (now): "I don't want this enlightenment. Such enlightenment....I don't want anymore."

(Swamiji then gave him some water and asked him to sleep. After one hour, he returned to his normal consciousness.)

Swamiji ends this story by telling, "Enlightenment is not easy, not easy. Be ready. That's the reason you practice all kinds of yoga. Be kind. Be generous. Be calm. Be peaceful. Follow one path. Believe. Have no room for confusion. Automatically, you will then get Enlightenment and Bliss. Guru is then not necessary. You will automatically get it. When the time is ripe, YOU will get it. He (GOD), will give it.

Swamiji: We are searching. We are very crazy (going haywire). We want physical evidence. Enlightenment is not like that. Enlightenment...."that blissful power is difficult to get. So practice. Control yourself. It will come. That is Swamiji's opinion.

Source: Heart to Heart - Kriya class 1986.

(Footnote: Swamiji picked up some simple English through his communication with foreign devotees. So, the communication is very simple and plain as he has not undergone formal education in this language.

In the present days, everyone is rushing on things at break neck speed. It is a mad rat race that has no end. There are instant noodles, instant photographs, instant this and instant that. Some may even question at the end of one's life journey if all the stress in life was worthwhile. The fruits of our pursuit sometimes bears little meaning towards the twilight years of the life. Therefore, patience, perseverance and practice do makes it perfect!


Living in a Grateful World

I received this Buddhist Teachings via net and I thought of sharing it here. It embraces truth with simplicity. I think if we can emulate even a partial of these sayings, we can rid off some amounts of undue stress in this stress filled earth. We do not need to embrace Buddhism to practice it. Good things are found in all religions, and this teachings below is one such example.

LIVING IN A GRATEFUL WORLD

BE GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO HAVE HURT OR HARMED YOU,
FOR THEY HAVE REINFORCED YOUR DETERMINATION.

BE GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO HAVE DECEIVED YOU,
FOR THEY HAVE DEEPENED YOUR INSIGHT.

BE GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO HAVE HIT YOU,
FOR THEY HAVE REDUCED YOUR KARMIC OBSTACLES.

BE GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO ABANDONED YOU,
FOR THEY HAVE TAUGHT YOU TO BE INDEPENDENT.

BE GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO HAVE MADE YOU STUMBLE,
FOR THEY HAVE STRENGTHENED YOUR ABILITY.

BE GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO HAVE DENOUNCED YOU,
FOR THEY HAVE INCREASED YOUR WISDOM AND CONCENTRATION.

(Source: Buddhist Teachings)




Angels of Mons saves British soldiers.

The Angel(s) that I am about to narrate is a little different than the norm. It is also known as "the bowmen of Mons." The story describes of a phantom bowmen from the Battle of Agincourt who was summoned by a British soldier calling on Saint George. It is a spiritually inspiring tale with a common theme to the needs of every living being. The angels rescuing mankind in times of trouble. Don't we all have problems? Anyway, this story ends with the destruction of the German forces much to the favour of the British soldiers.

The Angels of Mon-The story goes like this...
During the onset of the First World War, on 22nd August 1914,the British expeditionary forces were engaged in a place called Mons, in Belgium. The battle was also known as the "Battle of the Frontiers". During this battle, the Germans who outnumbered the British soldiers were rapidly advancing. The British who were suffering major casualties had to retreat the following day. The task of beating the Germans seemed almost impossible. New recruitment drive for the British army was needed in such short time due to the heavy loss.

Contribution of Arthur Machen to this story
There was no hope at all. Some of them bidding farewell to each other by shaking hands and saying "Good-bye". One man improvised a new version of the battlesong, "Good-bye, good-bye to Tipperary," ending with "And we shan't get there". And they all went on firing steadily. The officers pointed out that such an opportunity for high-class, fancy shooting might never occur again; the Germans dropped line after line; the Tipperary humorist asked, "What price Sidney Street?" And the few machine guns did their best. But everybody knew it was of no use. The dead grey bodies lay in companies and battalions, as others came on and on and on, and they swarmed and stirred and advanced from beyond and beyond.

The Soldier who summons "St' George"
This soldier happened to know Latin and other useless things, and now, as he fired at his man in the grey advancing mass - 300 yards away , he went on firing to the end. Finally, Bill on his right had to clout him cheerfully over the head to make him stop, pointing out as he did so that the King's ammunition cost money and was not lightly to be wasted in drilling funny patterns into dead Germans. "World without end. Amen," he said with some irrelevance as he took aim and fired.

And then he remembered-he says he cannot think why or wherefore - a queer vegetarian restaurant in London where he had once or twice eaten eccentric dishes of cutlets made of lentils and nuts that pretended to be steak. On all the plates in this restaurant there was printed a figure of St. George in blue, with the motto, Adsit Anglis Sanctus Geogius - May St. George be a present help to the English.

The sound of battle drowns...
For as the Latin scholar uttered his invocation he felt something between a shudder and an electric shock pass through his body. The roar of the battle died down in his ears to a gentle murmur; instead of it, he says, he heard a great voice and a shout louder than a thunder-peal crying, "Array, array, array!"

His heart grew hot as a burning coal, it grew cold as ice within him, as it seemed to him that a tumult of voices answered to his summons. He heard, or seemed to hear, thousands shouting:
"St. George! St. George!"
"Ha! messire; ha! sweet Saint, grant us good deliverance!"
"St. George for merry England!"
"Harow! Harow! Monseigneur St. George, succour us."
"Ha! St. George! Ha! St. George! a long bow and a strong bow."
"Heaven's Knight, aid us!"

And as the soldier heard these voices, he saw before him, beyond the trench, a long line of shapes, with a shining about them. They were like men who drew the bow, and with another shout their cloud of arrows flew singing and tingling through the air towards the German hosts.

The other men in the trench were firing all the while.They had no hope; but they aimed just as if they had been shooting at Bisley. Suddenly one of them lifted up his voice in the plainest English, "Gawd help us!" he bellowed to the man next to him, "but we're blooming marvels! Look at those grey ... gentlemen, look at them! D'ye see them? They're not going down in dozens, nor in 'undreds; it's thousands, it is. Look! look! there's a regiment gone while I'm talking to ye."

"Shut it!" the other soldier bellowed, taking aim, "what are ye gassing about!"
But he gulped with astonishment even as he spoke, for, indeed, the grey men were falling by the thousands. The English could hear the guttural scream of the German officers, the crackle of their revolvers as they shot the reluctant; and still line after line crashed to the earth.

All the while the Latin-bred soldier heard the cry: "Harow! Harow! Monseigneur, dear saint, quick to our aid! St. George help us!"
"High Chevalier, defend us!"
The singing arrows fled so swift and thick that they darkened the air; the heathen horde melted from before them.
"More machine guns!" Bill yelled to Tom.
"Don't hear them," Tom yelled back. "But, thank God, anyway; they've got it in the neck."

In fact, there were ten thousand dead German soldiers left before that salient of the English army, and consequently there was no Sedan. In Germany, a country ruled by scientific principles, the Great General Staff decided that the contemptible English must have employed shells containing an unknown gas of a poisonous nature, as no wounds were discernible on the bodies of the dead German soldiers. But the man who knew what nuts tasted like when they called themselves steak knew also that St. George had brought his Agincourt Bowmen to help the English."

End of the Story. And now for the moments of Truth.
That was quite an inspirational story, or was it? Actually the writings above was mostly written by a Welsh author, Arthur Machen on 29 September 1914. It was a short story called “The Bowmen” which appeared in the London newspaper, "the Evening News". He had read about the fighting in Mons, and soon enough was inspired to write a story about it.

The only problem that Arthur Machen, (the author) didn't foresee was the effect of the story on the people. Machen had previously wrote a number of factual articles about the conflict in the same paper.

Machen's story was not however labelled as fiction and the same edition of the Evening News ran a story by a different author under the heading "Our Short Story." Additionally, Machen's story was written from a first hand perspective and was a kind of false document, a technique Machen knew well.

The unintended result was that Machen (the author) had a number of requests to provide evidence for his sources for the story soon after its publication, from readers who thought it was true, to which he responded that it was completely imaginary, as he had no desire to create a hoax.

Arthur Machen tries to explain in vain...
But the way the "news" spread was another matter.

1. A month or two afterwards, Machen received requests from the editors of parish magazines to reprint the story, which were granted. A priest, the editor of one of these magazines, subsequently wrote to Machen asking if he would allow the story to be reprinted in pamphlet form, and would he write a short preface giving authorities for the story. Machen replied that they were welcome to reprint but he could not give any authorities for the story since he had none. The priest replied that Machen must be mistaken, that the "facts" of the story must be true, and that Machen had just elaborated on a true account.

2. And soon enough, variation of the story soon began to add colour to this fiction, which was narrated as though they were authentic histories, especially one which describes how dead German soldiers had been found on the battlefield with arrow wounds.

3. In "The Bowmen" Machen's soldier saw "a long line of shapes, with a shining about them." Mr. A.P. Sinnett, writing in the Occult Review mentioned that "those who could see said they saw 'a row of shining beings' between the two armies." This led Machen to suggest that the bowmen of his story had become the Angels of Mons.

As Machen later said with regret:
"It seemed that my light fiction had been accepted by the congregation of this particular church as the solidest of facts; and it was then that it began to dawn on me that if I had failed in the art of letters, I had succeeded, unwittingly, in the art of deceit. This happened, I should think, some time in April, and the snowball of rumour that was then set rolling has been rolling ever since, growing bigger and bigger, till it is now swollen to a monstrous size."

Machen tried to set the record straight, but any attempt to lessen the impact of such an inspiring story was seen as bordering on treason by some. It just goes to prove that from time immemorial, people of the faithful type will choose to believe no matter what evidence are brought upon to the contrary. On the other hand, we also have s-c-e-p-t-i-c-s who will not stop questioning no matter what evidence is presented to them. They prefer for a scientific explanation though not all of them are scientific by nature!

Teleportation of Sister Maria de Agreda, Spain,

This is a remarkable story about how a young and beautiful Spanish nun who has never travelled out of her convent, in her country's province of Soria in her entire life but yet was able to spread her missionary work to the Red Indians across Arizona, Mexico and Western Texas. She had also never, since taking her vows in 1619, set physical foot outside the walls of the Poor Clare convent in Agreda.The way she travelled is a phenomenon called "bi-location" or "teleportation".














Teleportation: The Photo of character "Nightcrawler" above may jog one's memory of teleportation from the movie "The X-Men"? Sister Maria was able to do something far more capable than the character portrayed in this movie, who performs "teleportation" - The ability to pass through solid material and manifest into another place... (I'd like to see him pass through the Great Walls of China :)

Her Brief Famly OriginSister Maria, the 4th child of Francis & Catherine Coronel was born on 2nd April, 1602 in Her mother used to call her a "special blessing" because the labor and delivery had caused relatively very little suffering. Her parents were Spanish nobles who owned their own castle.

A brief history of her early transformation in Spirituality...At 2 yrs old - Her parents felt that she might be endowed with some strange gift due to her precocious ability to reason.
By 4 yrs old - Her parents thought that she might be hearing voices from God as she was always seen talking and playing with invisible companions.
6 yrs old - They grew worried due to her pre-occupation with spirituality and her obsessive compassion for the poor.
8yrs old - She took a vow on chastity & told her parents of her desire to enter into sisterhood.
12 yrs old - She got her parents approval of her desire. But as she was about to leave to Sisters of Teresa convent of Saint Ann, her mum heard an instruction when she prayed. She heard a mysterious and powerful voice issue a command for her and her family to convert their castle into a convent for the Franciscan Order's Poor Clares, donate their possessions to the poor, and abandon their noble family life for the Church. She, Maria and her other daughter must enter the convent. Her husband must enter a monastery.
17 yrs old - Maria, has grown into a beautiful young woman. She clothed herself in a simple blue and gray sackcloth habit of a Franciscan nun. She bound it at the waist with a rope with three knots, which symbolized the fundamental Franciscan virtues of the order: poverty, chastity and obedience. She wore the Franciscan Crown rosary, which symbolizes the joys of the Blessed Virgin. She became Sister Maria a Jesus de Agreda.

63 yrs old - On May 24, 1665, she passes away.

The episode of Teleportation....One day, when Sister Maria (she was 18 then) knelt down for prayer, she began to chant. As she went on, her face began to grow pale and her body began to sway. She appeared to be unconscious. This was witnessed by a beggar who claimed that a brilliant blue light enveloped her and her comatose body levitated high towards several feet above the floor. This is her 1st experience in a total of over 500 bi-locations/teleportation she had experienced in her entire lifetime.






(The photo above depicts Daniel Dunglass Home performing levitation in 1868. Sister Maria's body was also seen levitating by an eye-witness.)

And upon her 1st episode of teleportation, over the years, she has made over 500 such teleportation. In some days she uses to make 2 or 3 bi-location towards the land of the Red Indians within the same day. She instructed them in the fundamentals of the Faith, speaking to them in their own language. Her spirit carried rosaries from her cell to give to her charges. She healed the sick. She won converts. She urged them to contact Franciscan friars at the missions of the Río Grande pueblos and to solicit the construction of new missions for other tribes. If necessary, she would give her life, she said, to save a single Indian soul.

Well, it seems that the visions that went into the books weren’t the only ones Sister Maria had. Between 1620 and 1631, Sister Maria regularly went into what seems to be cataleptic trances, after which she described a strange dream in which she was carried to a strange and wild land, where she taught the gospel to strange and wild people. Between 1621 and 1629 numerous missionaries in east and west Texas and into New Mexico reported encountering Indians who had apparently never before been contacted by Spaniards or Frenchmen, who spoke no Spanish or French, who carried crosses, knew Roman Catholic ritual, maintained recognizable altars in their villages, and knew Catholic liturgy—in their own tongues. When the Spaniards asked how they had learned these things, they described a beautiful young woman in blue who had been coming among them for years, teaching them the new religion in their own languages, who told them to welcome the white skinned Christians who would eventually come to see them.

The probe begins when.....someone inquires directly to Sr MariaThe interview between the two was triggered when someone when to the church to ask the following questions following word of her abilities:
"Does anybody here know anything about a Sister who’s in New Spain teaching Indian Christianity?"
Sister Maria, said "Yes. I’m the one."
"But Mother Superior," they objected, "you’ve never been out of Castile. You haven’t even been outside the walls of your own convent since you took your vows."
"Not in body," she said, "but in spirit."

In the same vein as the reply she gave Father Benavides when he asked her where she learned to speak all the Indian languages. "I didn’t," she said. "I simply spoke to them—and God let us understand one another"

Following the above dialogue, a letter went back to New Spain, to Father Benavides, saying "You better come over her and talk to this woman, because there is decidedly something very strange going on..."

The following people testified...1. Father Alonzo de Benavides, father-custodian of New Mexico interviews Sr Maria...She gave him detailed descriptions of the clothing and customs of the tribes she taught—which she, as a cloistered nun, could not have know about because they either had never been written down or had only recently been observed and recorded. She gave him names of tribes and of specific individuals in tribes that he either knew or later found to be accurate.

2. Father Damian has this to say....
Father Damian Massanet, as he writes to Don Carlos de Siguenza y Gongora, a high-ranking Spanish official in Mexico, in 1690.

"While we were at the Tejas village, after we had distributed clothing to the Indians and to the governor of the Tejas, the said governor asked me one evening for a piece of blue baize to make a shroud in which to bury his mother when she died. I told him that cloth would be more suitable, and he answered that he did not want any color other than blue. I then asked him what mystery was attached to the blue color, and he said that they were very fond of that color, especially for burial clothes, because in times past they had been visited frequently by a very beautiful woman, who used to come down from the heights, dressed in blue garments, and that they wished to be like that woman.

On my asking whether this had been a long time since, the governor said it had been before his time, but his mother, who was aged, had seen the woman, as had also the other old people." Father Massanet went on to say that this was certainly the Reverend Mother Maria de Jesus de Agreda, whose story was already well known.

Further Readings:-
http://www.texfiles.com/eckhardt/ladyinblue.htm

A GRAVE VISIT DURING GRAVEYARD SHIFT AT THE POLICE STATION

Cops on graveyard shift duty at Bandar Hilir police station experienced an incident that sent a chilling shock straight to their spines....