peace and law

[john@xxxxxxxxxx]

Thought you might like to have a look at these:

Dear Quan Yin Practitioners,

Here's another little tip for those of you who are really concerned with sparing
life. Last time I mentioned that when eating vine fruits, such as tomatoes,
pumpkins and grapes, I was careful not to cut the seeds with a knife, but to try
to break open the fruit in such a way as to allow them to escape unharmed. They
can then be sown, or thrown to the winds to fare on their own. What we call
the "meat" of the fruit was actually meant to provide nourishment for the unborn
plant, but if the soil is fertile, the seeds will do well without help from
"mom", and so we animals can enjoy the nourishment so generously provided by the
mother plant while at the same time allowing her offspring to survive. This is
called "farming".

Most tree fruit seeds, such as the apple, orange, or sugarfruit (an especially
sweet and juicy fruit that those of us living in the tropics know quite well),
which have a hard coat, can easily pass through certain animal digestive tracts
(such as those of monkeys and humans) unharmed, and go on to sprout and grow
where they are deposited, as it were. This is called "the easy life".

It is a great delight, and also very healthy, to eat vegetables in their natural
(uncooked) condition, provided, of course, that they are grown without chemical
pesticides or fertilizers, which often contain poisons harmful to human bodies
as well as those of insects, reptiles, amphibians, and the myriad collection of
other sentient beings known as "the animal kingdom".

Roots such as garlic and onion can be easily eaten in the following manner: Take
a small clove of garlic or a small onion, peel off the dead outer coat, and pop
the little creature into your mouth. The warmth and moisture of your tongue and
inner lips (careful not to bite!) will slowly soften the "meaty" coats, which
you can then peel with teeth and fingers to enjoy the sweet taste and healthy
benefits of the sharp aroma (slowly, slowly!). When you finally reveal the tiny
sprout at the center, be sure to put it quickly into the rich soil of a rain
forest, where in a few weeks time it will grow into another onion or garlic
plant. Simple, no?

Don't worry if the bulb was too young to have a big, viable sprout, and you
consumed it all. There are many more where that one came from!

I also imagine that it would be possible to do the same with the yolk and
albumin ("white") of the egg, if one were careful to prepare a medium in which
the embryonic chicken could continue to grow. That way one could enjoy the taste
and nutritional benefit of the egg, without destroying life. But you'll have to
check with Suma Ching Hai on that idea, I suppose.

If there are other things you would like to discuss in the realm of biology, or
if anyone has any questions, don't be shy. Just contact me at my e-mail address
posted above.

Lots of love and affection from your friend,

John Morton







    P.O. Box 1039, Ramkamhaeng University, Hua Mark, Bangkok 10241, Thailand
    tel: (66-2) 319-2471-2 (501)                         pager: 151 - 489052


    February 21, 1996 (2939 Buddhist Calendar)


    Nipon Masavisut
    Vice President for Administration
        and Acting President
    Rangsit University
    Muang-Ake, Paholyothin Road
    Patumtani 12000, Thailand

    Reference: Your letter dated January 31, 1996

    Dear Vice-President Nipon,

    Your letter dismissing me from the post of lecturer in Business
    Mathematics was, unfortunately, unacceptable by any academic and
    legal standards.

    I was hired by your school at the beginning of January, after
    recommendation by Dr. Brian Sheehan at NIDA, and after an interview with
    your "course coordinator", Greg Fisher. I was verbally contracted to
    teach for one semester, one 3-hour class per week on Tuesdays, beginning
    January 16th of this year.

    I subsequently taught 3 classes, on January 16, 30, and February 6. I
    would have also taught the class scheduled for January 23, for which I
    appeared at your school, but it had been cancelled for some
    administrative reasons about which I was not notified.

    Simple professional courtesy and standard academic behavior would
    require that I be paid for the time I taught, and also some compensation
    be given for an unexplained summary dismissal by Mr. Charlio, the acting
    director of your International Program.

    The disorder that prevailed this semester at your institution is
    regretable, especially from the point of view of the students, both
    Thai and visiting international students, who were not given the courses
    that they had paid for and expected to receive. Some of the teachers and
    staff at Rangsit have been making great efforts to help the students
    through this terrible semester, and should be commended for their brave
    efforts.

    As for myself, I realize that you have tried your best to help keep
    everything going at the school under difficult circumstances, and I
    apologise for anything I did that may not have helped you to complete
    your challenging task.

    However, I do expect compensation for the time and efforts I put forth
    to complete my assignment. I was hired at the rate of 1,500 baht per
    hour, and taught or was scheduled to teach at least 12 hours (four
    classes). This would amount to 18,000 baht. Additionally, the school
    should provide me with one month's pay, since I have been unable to
    provide money for my own financial responsibilities that I undertook
    with the understanding that I had a full semester of teaching at Rangsit
    ahead of me.

    If you could send me a check in the amount of 36,000 baht, I will
    consider the matter closed, and make no further claims against Rangsit
    University. If this is satisfactory, please deposit that amount in my
    Thai Farmers account # 028-2-41789-8, or send a check to my P.O. Box
    above. If you want to discuss the matter further, please contact me at
    the telephone and pager number above.

    I respect you personally, sir, and hope to have a relationship with you
    as a friend, which would be an honor for me. I am sorry that this
    initial working assignment did not fulfill our mutual expectations.
    Perhaps the future holds a better chance for us.

    Sincerely yours,



    John Morton

    cc: Dr. Brian Sheehan, NIDA
        Prof. Sompob Lajaroj, Chiang Mai University
        Dr. Jayant Routray, AIT
        Dr. Fredric Swierczek, AIT
        Dr. Srisakdi Charmonman, Internet KSC Group
        Mr. Michael Mundy, ABAC
        T. Charnwit, ACME Inter-Marketing
        Vitoon Ruenglertpanyakul, Nature Food Cooperative
        Roman S. Averia, Materials Unlimited Corp. (Phil.)
        Dr. Tahir Hussain, Univ. of Agriculture (Pak.)
        Dr. H.M.D.R. Herath, Univ. of Peradeniya (Sri Lanka)
        Dr. Sam Volard (Australia)
        Dr. Lim Guan-Soon, Int'l Inst. of Biol. Control (Malaysia)
        Dr. Thein Oo, Minister of Justice, NCGUB (Burma)
        Dr. David Morton, MD (USA)
        Mrs. Maryse L'Hoste-Morton, Newcastle (England)