Buddhist Rock Art in Mongolia

The predominant religion in Mongolia up until the communists takeover in the 1920's was Buddhism; more specifically, the Tibetan style of Tantric Buddhism. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990's Buddhism has reemerged as the dominant religion once again.

The Yellow Sect of Tibetan Buddhism began to take hold in Mongolia during the late 1500's under the patronage of Altan Khan and his successors. He is the one who granted the Dailai Lama his title. Prior to Buddhism most Mongolians were followers of native shamanism and there are a great number of shamanistic influences in Mongolian Buddhism and Mongolian culture in general.

The communist government shut down most monasteries and exiled or killed the Buddhist monks during its rule from 1921 through 1992. We visited two of these monasteries during our visit. The first is a small temple in Gorkhi Terelj National Park up the valley from Turtle Rock. The second is the huge temple complex of Manzushir Monastery (which I am fairly certain is named after the Boddhisattva Manjusri) that was completely destroyed during the communist era and which has had only one building rebuilt. The ruins of several of the old building remain.

At both places we saw examples of Buddhist rock art that had survived from earlier eras.

Inscription in the old Mongolian alphabet, in Gorkhi Terelj National Park

Luke Chapter Two

Latin

Factum est autem in diebus illis, exiit edictum a Cæsare Augusto ut describeretur universus orbis.

Hæc descriptio prima facta est a præside Syriæ Cyrino:

et ibant omnes ut profiterentur singuli in suam civitatem.

Ascendit autem et Joseph a Galilæa de civitate Nazareth in Judæam, in civitatem David, quæ vocatur Bethlehem: eo quod esset de domo et familia David, ut profiteretur cum Maria desponsata sibi uxore prægnante.

Factum est autem, cum essent ibi, impleti sunt dies ut pareret.

Et peperit filium suum primogenitum, et pannis eum involvit, et reclinavit eum in præsepio: quia non erat eis locus in diversorio.

Et pastores erant in regione eadem vigilantes, et custodientes vigilias noctis super gregem suum.

Et ecce angelus Domini stetit juxta illos, et claritas Dei circumfulsit illos, et timuerunt timore magno.

Et dixit illis angelus:

Nolite timere: ecce enim evangelizo vobis gaudium magnum, quod erit omni populo:
quia natus est vobis hodie Salvator, qui est Christus Dominus, in civitate
David. Et hoc vobis signum: invenietis infantem pannis involutum, et positum
in
præsepio.

Et subito facta est cum angelo multitudo militiæ cælestis laudantium Deum, et dicentium:

Gloria in altissimis Deo,et in terra pax hominibus bonæ voluntatis.

Et factum est, ut discesserunt ab eis angeli in cælum: pastores loquebantur ad invicem:

Transeamus usque Bethlehem, et videamus hoc verbum, quod factum est, quod
Dominus ostendit nobis. Et venerunt festinantes: et invenerunt Mariam, et
Joseph, et infantem positum in præsepio.

Videntes autem cognoverunt de verbo, quod dictum erat illis de puero hoc.

Et omnes qui audierunt, mirati sunt: et de his quæ dicta erant a pastoribus ad ipsos.

Maria autem conservabat omnia verba hæc, conferens in corde suo.

English

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

Camille Paglia on Gay Marriage

From an article in Salon:

I may be an atheist, but I respect religion and certainly find it far more
philosophically expansive and culturally sustaining than the me-me-me sense of
foot-stamping entitlement projected by too many gay activists in the unlamented
past. My position has always been (as in "No Law in the Arena" in my 1994 book,
"Vamps & Tramps") that government should get out of the marriage business.
Marriage is a religious concept that should be defined and administered only by
churches. The government, a secular entity, must institute and guarantee civil
unions, open to both straight and gay couples and conferring full legal rights
and benefits. Liberal heterosexuals who profess support for gay rights should be
urged to publicly shun marriage and join gays in the civil union movement.

This is one area where I actually agree with Paglia. Allow people to form whatever legal union they want. Allow them to legally declare whomever they want as beneficiaries of their social security benefits, but don't call it "marriage".