Sutra Study: Middle Length Discourse, Simile of the Elephant's Footprint (MN 28) with American monk Abbot Bhante Suddhaso (Buddhist Insights @ Empty Cloud) Ven. Suddhaso translates MN 28 from the exclusively Buddhist language Pāli, while explaining the meaning of the discourse.

(Future Unity) March 28, 2023. Welcome to Future Unity, which explores the fascinating world of science, technology, and the universe. From the inner workings of the human body to the outer reaches of space, it delves into the latest and most interesting discoveries that are shaping the world. Whether it's science or just looking for mind-blowing facts, FU has it covered. Join as it uncovers the mysteries of the world around us and discovers new frontiers in the fields of science and technology. Get ready for a journey that's educational and entertaining.

This is a great idea. Bring back Neanderthals, too

Colossal recently added $60 million in funding to move toward a 2027 de-extinction of the woolly mammoth. The Dallas-based company is now working to edit the genes for the reincarnation of the mammal.

Colossal planned to reintroduce the woolly mammoth into Russia, but that may shift.

The woolly mammoth is like an Arctic dinosaur

The long-dead woolly mammoth will make its return from extinction by 2027, says Colossal, the biotech company actively working to reincarnate the ancient beast.

Last year, the Dallas-based firm scored an additional $60 million in funding to continue the, well, mammoth gene-editing work it started in 2021.

If successful, not only will Colossal bring back an extinct species — one the company dubs a cold-resistant elephant — but it will also reintroduce the woolly mammoth to the same ecosystem in which it once lived in an effort to fight climate change, according to a recent Medium post.

Lies of Men & Gods (stevequayle.com)

Colossal calls the woolly mammoth’s vast migration patterns an active part of preserving the health of the Arctic, and so bringing the animal back to life can have a beneficial impact on the health of the world’s ecosystem.

While Colossal originally hoped to reintroduce the woolly mammoth into Siberia, the company may explore other options based on the current political framework of the world.

The woolly mammoth’s DNA is a 99.6 percent match of the Asian elephant, which leads Colossal to believe it’s well on its way toward achieving its goal.

“In the minds of many, this creature is gone forever,” the company says. “But not in the minds of our scientists, nor the labs of our company. We’re already in the process of the de-extinction of the Woolly Mammoth. Our teams have collected viable DNA samples and are editing the genes that will allow this wonderful megafauna to once again thunder through the Arctic.”

It won't end with the cuddly woolly elephant

Through gene editing, Colossal scientists will eventually create an embryo of a woolly mammoth. They will place the embryo in an African elephant to take advantage of its size and allow it to give birth to the new woolly mammoth.

The eventual goal is to then repopulate parts of the Arctic with the new woolly mammoth and strengthen local plant life with the migration patterns and dietary habits of the beast.

The Tasmanian devil doesn't exist (metv.com)

If Colossal proves successful on reincarnating the woolly mammoth — ditto the thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger (BBC) — expect a variety of new ethical questions (bbc.com) to arise on how to handle the creature and potential reintroduction issues. Source: msn.com

• They're brought back the giants (Steve Quayle)
• Steve Quayle: Giants, dead scientists, and gold metals
• Taz was so crazy, he convinced the world that Tasmanian devils didn't exist (metv.com)
• Geneticists aim to resurrect the Tasmanian tiger within the next 10 years | BBC Science Focus Magazine
• Christian fanatic and alarmist Steve Quayle, who obsesses about real giants (asuras or Titans) and transhumanism, aggregates the news:

Return of the giants

All-they-can-drink alcohol? Animals crave it. A herd of two dozen elephants was caught sleeping off hangovers after drinking jungle beer brewed by villagers in India.

The elephants came across the brew — also known as “mahua,” which is a traditional liquor made from the sugary flower of the Madhuca longifolia or butter tree — and apparently couldn’t resist catching a buzz, reported The Times UK.

Elephants are known to be [violent] fans of mahua, according to Chief Executive of Wildlife SOS Kartick Satyanarayan: “When they smell it, they can poke their trunks into kitchens or break down walls to get to it.

“Once finished, they stagger back home, toppling the odd tree or house on the way,” he added.

Locals from the village of Salipada, Odisha, India, left the jars of alcohol fermenting in the jungle, allowing these booze-loving elephants to dip their trunks in.

• MURDER: Elephant rips handler in half in Thailand after working in heat
• Elephant charges toward group of people in wild caught-on-camera scene in India
• Elephant herd gets ‘drunk’ consuming fermented water in Odisha. Forest officials beat drums to wake them up | The Indian Express

The elephants — including nine [minors called] calves — apparently lost sight of what their alcohol limit was and drank all of the mahua until they blacked out.

Local wildlife officials reportedly woke up the heavy sleepers by beating on drums, and the hungover animals slowly got up and stumbled back into the forest.

This was not the first occurrence of elephants drinking more than they can handle.

Drunk elephants as a rowdy human

In April, a herd of elephants, who some consider “addicted” to the fermented alcohol [i.e., alcoholics], killed five people brewing liquor in the Jaisingh Nagar Forest range, according to the Daily Mail.

Forest officials warn locals to avoid brewing mahua when elephants are spotted nearby because they can smell the liquor from a distance and move closer to cause drunken havoc. Source

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The goad

B. Alan Wallace and Daniel Goleman discuss shamatha (serenity), mindfulness, and introspection, which they tie to metacognition:

"Throughout Buddhist literature the training in shamatha [serenity meditation] is often likened to training a wild elephant, and the two primary instruments for this are the tether of mindfulness and the goad of introspection."

The Attention Revolution (B. Alan Wallace)

"Buddhist psychology classifies introspection as a form of intelligence (prajna), and its development has long been an important element of Buddhist meditation.

"A similar mental faculty, usually called metacognition, is now coming under the scrutiny of modern psychologists.

"Cognitive researchers have defined metacognition as knowing of one's own cognitive and affective processes and states, as well as the ability to consciously and deliberately monitor and regulate those processes and states.

"This appears to be an especially rich area for collaborative research between Buddhist contemplatives and cognitive scientists."

 
What is the attitude of Buddhism toward animals? The Full Moon Honey Offering is a poignant tale that shows the special place and potential of animals in the Buddhist tradition. The Dharma Meditation Initiative commemorates it on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018 at 7:00 PM, Neighborhood UU Church, 301 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Room 23, Pasadena, Los Angeles, CA 91103.