[翻轉視界] 孤軍奮戰的正義律師: 羅伯‧比洛特
Have you seen the film Dark Waters?
你看過電影《黑水風暴》嗎?
The film is based on the 2016 New York Times Magazine article "The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare," which describes Robert Bilott's case against the chemical manufacturing corporation DuPont after they contaminated a town with unregulated chemicals.
這部電影改編自紐約時報2016年的文章《成為杜邦最糟糕的噩夢的律師》,講述律師羅伯‧比洛特對抗化學製造廠「杜邦」的故事,該廠以未被規範的化學物質污染了一個小鎮。
Robert Bilott put his career, his family, everything on the line to win justice for tens of thousands if not millions of people. It is because of people like him, people who continue to speak out and take action against injustice, that our society continues to improve. Thank you, Mr. Bilott.
羅伯‧比洛特壓上一切,包括自己的事業、家庭,與為數達到萬人、甚至數百萬的民眾捍衛正義。正因有像他這樣的人持續為對抗不公不義發聲與採取行動,我們的社會才能不斷進步。謝謝你,比洛特先生。
Here’s a Times article that describes both the film and its portray of Mr. Bilott’s struggle to bring justice. I highly recommend the film.
以下是《Time 時代雜誌》的文章,介紹了這部電影並描繪了比洛特先生伸張正義所做的努力;我強烈推薦《黑水風暴》。
新聞報導: https://youtu.be/Tkkuil-U6qQ
★★★★★★★★★★★★
Rob Bilott, a corporate lawyer-turned-environmental crusader, doesn’t much care if he’s made enemies over the years. "I’ve been dealing with this for almost three decades," he says. "I can’t really worry about if the people on the other side like me or not."
•a corporate lawyer 企業律師
•environmental crusader 環境鬥士
•make enemies 樹敵、建立敵人
羅伯‧比洛特是位由企業律師轉變而成的環境鬥士,對自己多年來是否樹敵並不在意。「我已處理這問題近三十年了,」他說,「我根本不在意立場相對的人是否喜歡我」。
★★★★★★★★★★★★
Bilott used to be on the other side. The Todd Haynes-directed movie Dark Waters, tells the story of how the lawyer switched allegiances. As happened in real life, the movie depicts Ruffalo’s Bilott as a lawyer who defends large chemical companies before he is approached for help in 1998 by Wilbur Tennant, a West Virginia farmer whose land was contaminated by chemical giant DuPont. Inflamed by that injustice, and the complicity of local authorities, the lawyer risks his career as he embarks on a decades-long legal siege of one of America’s most powerful corporations.
•switch allegiances 轉換陣營
•depict 描述
•complicity 共謀;串通;共犯
•DuPont 杜邦(世界排名第二大的美國化工公司)
比洛特曾站在企業那一邊。由陶德·海恩斯導演的《黑水風暴》講述這位律師如何轉換陣營:正如真實生活中發生的,該電影描述馬克·魯法洛所扮演的比洛特是一名任職大型化學企業的律師。1998年,一位土地被化學製造巨頭杜邦所污染的西維吉尼亞州農民威爾伯·坦納特,向他尋求幫助。不公義及地方當局的共謀激怒了這名律師;冒著斷送職涯的風險,他開始對美國最有權力的公司之一杜邦,進行長達數十年的法律圍攻。
★★★★★★★★★★★★
He works, at first, on Tennant’s behalf, then pursues a class action suit representing around 70,000 people living near a chemical plant that allegedly contaminated drinking water with PFOA, a toxic chemical used in the production of Teflon. In recent years, studies have correlated long-term exposure to PFOA with a number of illnesses, including some types of cancer.
•on behalf of sb/in behalf of sb; on sb's behalf/in sb's behalf 代表~;作為~的代表;代替~ ; 因為,為了~的利益
•a chemical plant 化學工廠
•allegedly 宣稱地;據傳地
•contaminate drinking water 污染飲用水
•perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) 全氟辛酸銨
他一開始先代表威爾伯·坦納特進行訴訟,之後代表約七萬名居住在化學工廠附近的居民進行訴訟,據稱該工廠以全氟辛酸(PFOA)污染了飲用水。PFOA是一種用於製造鐵氟龍的有毒化學物質;近幾年有研究表明,長期暴露於PFOA與許多疾病相關,其中包括某些癌症。
★★★★★★★★★★★★
In 2017, Bilott won a $671 million settlement on behalf of more than 3,500 plaintiffs. Those people claimed they had contracted diseases, among them kidney cancer and testicular cancer, from chemicals DuPont allegedly knew may have been dangerous for decades, and allowed to contaminate their drinking water anyway.
•settlement 協議;和解(金);定居;支付
•plaintiff 原告
•contract a disease 患病、染病
•kidney cancer 腎臟癌
2017年,比洛特代表超過3500名原告贏得了6.71億美金的和解金。這些原告聲稱他們患病,其中包括腎臟癌與睪丸癌,是由於那些杜邦疑似早在數十年前就知道危險、卻仍然放任污染飲用水的化學物質。
★★★★★★★★★★★★
In Dark Waters, Haynes emphasizes the seemingly endless fight taken up by Bilott, as DuPont brings its considerable resources to bear to defend itself over the course of two decades. According to one analyst, the film’s potential to raise awareness about these issues could have a serious effect on some chemical companies’ bottom lines. But for the real Rob Bilott, the work of taking the industry to court is far from over. In October 2018, the lawyer filed a new lawsuit against several companies, including 3M, Arkema, and Chemours, a manufacturer spun off from DuPont in 2015. That ongoing case is seeking class action status, and was initially brought on behalf of Kevin Hardwick, a firefighting veteran of 40 years who used fire-suppression foams and firefighting equipment containing a class of chemicals known as PFAS, or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFOA is one type of PFAS chemical).
•seemingly endless fight 看似永無止境的鬥爭
•considerable resources 為數可觀、相當多的資源
•raise awareness about… 激發對~的警覺
•far from over 遠遠不夠
•file a lawsuit 提起新訴訟
•seek class action status 尋求集體訴訟(派一方代表訴訟)地位
•polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) 全氟烷基物質(廣泛被用來作為表面塗料,不易分解、會產生污染)
在《黑水風暴》中,海恩斯強調那些比洛特所參與的看似是個永無止盡的鬥爭,因為杜邦二十多年來動用可觀的資源來為自身辯護。根據一位分析師,本電影可能激發大眾對此類議題的警覺,或是將對一些化學公司的利潤帶來嚴重影響。但對真正的羅伯‧比洛特而言,僅將杜邦送上法庭遠遠不夠。2018年10月,這位律師針對好幾家公司提起新訴訟,對象包括3M、阿科瑪與2015年從杜邦拆分出來的製造公司科慕。這起進行中的訴訟案正尋求集體訴訟地位,而該案件初始是為凱文.哈德沃克提起的,一位有40年經驗的消防員,他長期使用一種含全氟烷基物質(PFAS)或多氟烷基(polyfluoroalkyl)物質的滅火泡沫與消防器材。(註:PFOA是一種 PFAS化學物。)
★★★★★★★★★★★★
PFAS chemicals are used in products ranging from waterproof jackets to shaving cream, and they can leach into water supplies in areas where they are disposed of or used in fire suppression (in particular on military bases, where they have been used for years). According to Bilott’s complaint, studies currently suggest that PFAS is present in the blood of around 99% of Americans. The class of chemicals has broadly been linked to immune system disruption, while PFOA specifically has been found to be associated with cancers and other diseases. Bilott’s newest lawsuit, as with his prior cases, alleges that these companies knew for decades that PFAS chemicals, specifically PFOA, could be linked to serious health problems, and that they still assured the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other U.S. government regulators that PFAS exposures were harmless.
•range from…to… 從~到~
•leach into 過濾、滲入
•water supply 供水,給水
•be linked to 與~有關
•be associated with 與~相關
•assure 保證
•government regulators 政府監管、立法單位
•exposure (n.) 暴露
PFAS化學物質應用廣泛,從防水夾克到刮鬍泡,而他們可以滲入可能或被用於滅火的地區的供水之中(尤其在軍中,這種物質被使用多年)。據比洛特控訴,目前研究顯示,約99%的美國人血液中有PFAS存在。這種化學物質與免疫系統遭破壞有關,而PFOA則被發現跟癌症與其他疾病相關。比洛特最新的訴訟一如先前的案件,宣稱這些公司數十年來都知道PFAS化學物質,尤其是PFOA可能與重大健康問題相關,但他們仍舊向環保局與其他美國政府監管單位保證,說 PFAS的暴露是無害的。
★★★★★★★★★★★★
"What we’re hearing once again from those companies that put those chemicals out there, knowing that they would get into the environment and into our blood, is that there’s insufficient evidence to show that they present risks to humans who are exposed," explains Bilott. "These companies are going to sit back and say, we’re entitled to…use you as guinea pigs, yet those of you who are exposed are somehow the ones who are going to have to prove what these 'chemicals' do to you."
•insufficient evidence 證據不足
•present risks 存在危險
•a guinea pig(通常用於測試藥效的)實驗對象,供做實驗的人 ; 豚鼠,天竺鼠
「我們又再次耳聞這些公司,明知那些化學製品會流入環境並進入我們的血液,卻仍將其暴露在環境裡,並宣稱沒有足夠證據證明暴露的化學物質將置人類於風險之中,」比洛特解釋道,「這些公司坐視不理並說,他們有權將人們當成實驗對象,而你們這些暴露在化學物質中的人,卻將證實那些化學物質會對造成什麼影響。」
★★★★★★★★★★★★
"If we can’t get where we need to go to protect people through our regulatory channels, through our legislative process, then unfortunately what we have left is our legal process," says Bilott. "If that’s what it takes to get people the information they need and to protect people, we’re willing to do it."
•regulatory channels 管制途徑
•legislative process 立法程序
「如果我們無法透過管制途徑、立法程序來保護人們,那麼不幸的是,我們只剩下法律程序,」比洛特表示,「如果這就是讓人們得到所需要的資訊、保護人們所要付出的努力,我們願意這樣做。」
★★★★★★★★★★★★
Robert Bilott is a true hero.
羅伯‧比洛特是真正的英雄。
文章來自於《Time 時代雜誌》 : https://time.com/5737451/dark-waters-true-story-rob-bilott/
圖片出處: Cincinnati Enquirer
★★★★★★★★★★★★
翻轉視界: http://bit.ly/3fPvKUs
fire suit types 在 喜劇演員 Facebook 的精選貼文
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The Fifth Element(1997)
Director:Luc Besson
Cinematographer:Thierry Arbogast
2nd unit DOP:Nick Tebbet
Production Designer:Dan Weil
Key grip:Joe Celeste
Camera grip:Jean Pierre Mas
Stunt coordinator:Marc Boyle
Costume Designer:Jean-Paul Gaultier
Visual Effects supervisor:Mark Stetson
Creature Effects supervisor:Nick Dudman
Miniature Effects supervisor:Niels Nielsen
Visual Effects DOP:Bill Neil
Special Effects supervisor:Neil Corbould
Pyrotechnics supervisor:Thaine Morris
Luc Besson said he started writing the screenplay when he was 16, creating the vivid fantasy universes to combat the boredom he experienced living in rural France. But it didn't reach the screen until he was 38 years old; by that time, he felt he was old enough to actually have something to say about life.
According to costume designer Jean Paul Gaultier, the enfant terrible of the fashion world who once gave Madonna conical breasts, designed the futuristic costumes for The Fifth Element—more than 1000 of them. He didn't just design them, either For crowd scenes, where there might be hundreds of extras wearing his costume designs, he'd go around making adjustments to ensure everyone looked right before the cameras rolled.
According to Gaultier, Besson had lined up Mel Gibson, Julia Roberts, and Prince to play the leads in 1992, before financial problems delayed the project. (It's not clear whether any of them had officially signed on or were merely considering it.) Besson arranged for Gaultier to meet with Prince when the singer was in Paris so he could show him sketches of his designs. The meeting proved awkward (as one assumes many meetings with Prince are), and The Purple One later told Besson that he found the costumes "a bit too effeminate." It's entirely possible that the production delays would have prevented Prince from committing anyway, but it's fun to think about what Ruby Rhod would have been like in different hands. Gaultier had also unwittingly offended Prince with his description of one proposed outfit, a mesh suit with a padded, fringe-bedecked rear. Gaultier kept referring to this part of the suit as a "faux cul" ("fake ass"), but because of his thick accent, he said Prince misheard him as saying, "F-\-\- you!" Tucker has said he took inspiration from both Prince and Michael Jackson in crafting his performance as Ruby Rhod.
When filming began, the production decided to dye Milla Jovovich's hair from its natural brown color to her character's signature orange color. However, due to the fact that her hair had to be re-dyed regularly to maintain the bright color, Milla's hair quickly became too damaged and broken to withstand the dye. Eventually a wig was created to match the color and style of Leeloo's hair, and was used for the remainder of the production.
Luc Besson, an admitted comic book fan, had two famous French comic book artists in mind for this movie's visual style when he started writing the movie in high school, Jean Giraud (Moebius) and Jean-Claude Mézières. Both artists have long-standing comic book series in France. Moebius is best known for "Blueberry" and the (French) Magazine and (U.S.) movie Heavy Metal (1981). Mézières is best known for the "Valerian" series. Both series are still in production today. Moebius and Mezieres, who attended art school together but had never collaborated on a project until this movie, started renderings for this movie in the early 1990s and are responsible for the majority of the overall look of the movie, including the vehicles, spacecrafts, buildings, human characters, and aliens. However, only Giraud is credited, and even then, he wasn't even granted a premium when the movie was eventually produced.
Some of the most memorable moments from the film are views of a future New York, complete with flying cars and a mass of new and old skyscrapers. The film was one of Digital Domain’s huge miniature shows released that year – the others being Dante’s Peak and Titanic – while also heralding the fast-moving world of CGI in the movies. The New York scenes were created using a combination of CGI (for the flying cars), live action (the people), and scale models (the buildings). A crew of 80 on the production design team spent five months building dozens of city blocks at 1/24th scale.The visual effects for The Fifth Element were realized with a masterful combination of motion control miniatures, CG, digital compositing and effects simulations by Digital Domain. The flying traffic created by the visual Effects team allowed artists to create personalized license plates. Though never visible in the movie, the state slogan printed on all license plates reads "New York, The F***-You State."The people populating the roofs, decks, and windows during the visual effects sequences in New York City are the artists and employees at Digital Domain.
The text scrolling across a Times Square theater marquee as Korben dives down through traffic is actually an excerpt from an e-mail dispute between several artists at Digital Domain. Other signs on digital and practical, miniature buildings contain similar in-jokes and references and the large cylindrical tanker truck that Korben's cab almost hits at the end of his descent is decorated with the logo of a Venice, California, pizza parlor that was a favorite of Digital Domain artists.
‘You know, Mark, I don’t want to do these ‘fancy panning around and seeing the whole world shots’. I’d much rather set a camera looking down a street, having a cab rush towards me, and cut as it passes by, and then cut to a reverse of it passing by, and construct my film that way.’ – The Fifth Element visual effects supervisor Mark Stetson relates what director Luc Besson said to him about staging the film’s New York City shots.
This was Mark Stetson’s first visual effects supervisor role, this is what he had to say about it in a VFX blog article
Mark Stetson: I wasn’t afraid of the size of it. I didn’t think it was huge at the time. I mean, it was sort of standard tent pole-ish at the time and I was confident that I could do that, but it was my first one and there was a ton I had to learn, especially about digital visual effects. And I was very supported by Digital Domain. It was Digital Domain 1.0 back then, and they really gave me a great team. It was a great experience all around.
During the prep period, cinematographer Thierry Arbogast worked extensively with production designer Dan Weil to integrate various lighting units — primarily fluorescent and occasionally ultraviolet fixtures — within the sets themselves. More often than not, the futuristic spaces dictated the types of fixtures that could be used.
Arbogast had some challenges on the film he said this about the opera scene.
“Most of the lights you see in the opera house were already there. The difficulty was in lighting the people in the audience without illuminating the white facades of the balcony. Therefore, we used a lot of flags to focus our lighting precisely on the people.”
Gary Oldman played Zorg as a cross between then-Presidential candidate Ross Perot and Bugs Bunny.
In most shots of Gary Oldman, there is a circle around his head. In fact, a circle in the middle of the frame is a nearly constant motif in this movie. Bruce Willis, on the other hand, is more often framed by a rectangle or doorway behind him.
In keeping with the hands-on approach Besson established on Le Dernier Combat and has practiced on all of his successive films — Subway (1985), The Big Blue (1988), Atlantis (1990), La Femme Nikita (1991) and The Professional (1994) — the filmmaker operated the camera himself throughout the entire shoot. While such a working situation is rare for directors working within the Hollywood system, Besson prefers it because he can maintain better control of the onscreen action. "I create the frame and the movement within it," he explains. "Why lose time explaining everything to someone else? He's going to be slightly off, and then I'm going to freak out and say, 'No, this is not what we discussed. I want the camera here!' So it's better for everyone involved if I just do it myself.
"I write each action scene as if it is a ballet; the movements fit with the music. Generally, I'll shoot a fight sequence for 10 days using just one or two cameras and a very small crew. I've already written out the fight scene in my head, shot by shot. I do this for each and every sequence so that we can just shoot it, and then put the scene together in the editing room. At the same time, when you're on the set, you can have an idea at the last moment; you realize that from a different angle the light might be better, so you change the perspective [of the shot]. But I'll always write down and block out this [new] progression."
The explosion in the Fhloston main hall was the largest indoor explosion ever filmed. The resulting fire almost went beyond control. It took twenty-five minutes to put out.
At the time, it was the most expensive movie ever produced outside of Hollywood, most expensive French production history, and at $80 million USD, the visual effects budget of the movie was the highest of its time.
The wonder on Bruce Willis' face when the Diva sings is real. That was the first time he'd heard it and seen the actress in full make-up.
Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Chris Tucker and Gary Oldman are all left-handed.
The director had been married to Maïwenn Le Besco, who plays the Diva Plavalaguna, since 1992 (when she was 16 and he was 33, but that's another story). She didn't want to be in the film, adhering to the old adage that married people shouldn't work together and co-workers shouldn't marry each other. But when the actress Besson had cast as the Diva dropped out, Le Besco took the part got painted blue and gave a memorable performance. Alas, Besson didn't share his wife's policy of not mixing work with relationships. He left her during the production for Milla Jovovich, whom he married at the end of 1997 and divorced two years later... then that happened
From Mental floss,vfx blog,ASCmag article,IMDb,YouTube visual element doc.
fire suit types 在 玳瑚師父 Master Dai Hu Facebook 的最佳解答
【玳瑚師父茶會課室】 《以茶會友 – 第九場 :圓智溫宵聚慶佳節》
9th Recap : 2016 CNY Lantern Festival Tea Session With Master Dai Hu (English version below)
2016年二月二十三日,元宵圓夜,玳瑚師父在新加坡文华东方酒店的MELT ~ The World 咖啡廳,舉辦了《圓智溫宵聚慶佳節茶會》。有位七十五嵗高齡的老婦人,前來賀年學習,玳瑚師父體恤老婦人,把原先的茶會地點換到更明亮的咖啡廳。
茶會前,師父問了一些出席者,爲何會前來學習。二度出席的林先生,侃侃而談地說出,從上次的茶會學到,到一個餐廳,就應該消費。當初本來爲了省錢,只叫白水。從師父的教導,才明白這是一種佔便宜,既然使用別人的地方,理應就該消費,是一種尊敬經營者的禮貌行爲。
茶會精彩回顧:
一、出席者給師父過年紅包意義何在?
二、人要運動,才會有很清晰的思維,才能做很大的事情。
三、十二生肖和木星的關聯
四、犯太嵗的種種狀況
五、玳瑚師父如何決定佈多少福份給一個客人?
六、不讓自己心封閉的方法。
七、新加坡很需要的五行是什麽,及對我們的影響何在?
八、好風水屋子的特徵
九、人要經過春夏秋冬,才會好命。
十、年輕可以苦,但老來,一定要有福,才會老來有錢。
玳瑚師父現場看相示範:
十一、 從出席者臉上的痣,如何知道會有婦女健康和腳的問題?
十二、 要知道妳的男伴有沒有偷吃,有沒有性病,從這裡看!
十三、老公會不會給妳錢,從這裡看。
十四、她到底有沒有大學生的樣子?
十五、如何能看對方的父母尚好否?
十六、女人的臉,最忌有什麽?
十七、怎麽知道一個人的晚年會好不好?
丙申年的展望(二):
十八、 丙申年沖太歲的四生肖,需特別注意的事項
十九、 千萬別往這方向旅行!
二十、 如果居住在這凶方,可以以這簡易的方法化解!
二十一、如果臥室在這凶方,一定要照這化解方法!
二十二、助運方法: 得偏財的口訣
二十三、助運方法: 增旺讀書運的風水佈局
二十四、哪六畜不宜多吃?
玳瑚師父談孝親的真實義:
二十五、孝順,不是每個月給父母錢而已,也應該認知父母八字的所需,爲她他的未來做更好的策劃。
二十六、八十嵗的老太婆,無法用風水幫助她太多,祗能用佛法幫她去更好的境界。
二十七、父母在彌留狀況時,妳你應該做什麽?
現場答客問:
二十八、玳瑚師父說中某出席者所攻讀的課程,對事業無益,出席者詢問自己該讀什麽。
二十九、顯教的早晚課,是誦何經咒?
三十、同事妻子數度流產,應該怎麽辦?
等等。
玳瑚師父感嘆太多人學佛學不好,因爲起跑點錯了。他解釋認真要學佛的人爲何應該皈依,並提醒大家,學佛是爲了要成佛,不是爲了要自己和家人好。
有些人會入魔,因爲不能夠制止自己的貪,一直要,要不到,就發狂成魔。她他們卻不懂得抱握時間和機會做功德, 沒有發菩提心,做幫助人的事,如何會得到大福呢?
很多人在2016年裡都希望過得比去年好,想擁有更多的錢,得財神的眷顧。 天下沒有白吃的午餐。 不是妳你的,不要貪,不要拿,不要偷。別以爲沒人知,天知地知,妳你身上的鬼神都知。 玳瑚師父贈給大家一句話: 君子求財,取之有道,不義之財雖到手,無限後患跟著來。
玳瑚師父期待大家丙申年裡,好好地運用在茶會所學的知識,下次再見時,願大家身上善光湧現。
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On 23 February 2016, the night of the Lantern Festival, Master Dai Hu held the 9th Tea Session at Melt – The World Cafe. A 75-year-old lady was one participant who came to learn new knowledge and wish Master Dai Hu a happy new year. Master Dai Hu took into consideration of her needs and changed the venue to the cafe, a place of brighter lighting.
Tea Session highlights:
1. What is the significance of gifting CNY red packet to Master Dai Hu?
2. A person must exercise regularly, in order to have clarity and focus to achieve monumental goals.
3. The connection between Jupiter and the 12 Chinese Zodiac signs.
4. The various situations, that signify a clash with the Grand Duke of Jupiter.
5. How does Master Dai Hu decide how much merits to bestow upon each client?
6. How not to succumb to a closed mind.
7. What is the most needed element of Singapore and what is its significance to us?
8. The signs of good Feng Shui in a residence.
9. A person must experience the four seasons of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, in order to have a good life.
10. It is alright to suffer in your younger days. However, in your old age, you must possess enough merits to be financially comfortable.
Master Dai Hu's Live Demo of Face-Reading:
11. From the facial moles, how can you detect health issues in the female reproductive system and the limbs?
12. Observe this spot on the face, to find out if your male spouse has any extra-marital affairs, or sexual disease.
13. How to tell if your husband will support you financially
14. Does this lady have the destiny of being a university graduate?
15. How can you tell from a person's face if his/her parents are in good health?
16. What is considered the biggest taboo for a woman's facial features?
17. How can you determine if a person will enjoy a blissful old age from his/her face?
Outlook for the Year of the Fire Monkey:
18. If you are of any of the four Chinese zodiac signs that clash with the Grand Duke of Jupiter, what are the things to look out for?
19. If you are travelling, never take a tour in this direction!
20. If your residence is sitting in this inauspicious direction, implement these simple remedies.
21. Please take these actions if your bedroom is sitting in this inauspicious position!
22. The secret to a financial windfall
23. A Feng Shui formation to increase academic luck.
24. Which 6 types of meat should we refrain from over-consumption?
Master Dai Hu's explanation of true filial piety:
25. Being filial is not just about giving monthly allowances to your parents. You should also know their elemental needs from their birth charts and plan well for their future.
26. An eighty-year-old lady will not be able to benefit much from the application of Feng Shui. We can only use the Dharma to help her to achieve a higher realm of existence.
27. What should you do if your parents fall into a state of comatose?
Live Q & A:
28. Master Dai Hu pointed out that one participant had chosen the wrong academic course to pursue. It would bring no benefit to her career. The participant inquired what courses best suit her.
29. In Mahayana Buddhism, which scriptures and mantras are being recited in the morning prayers?
30. A colleague's wife had repeated miscarriages. What should be done?
And more.
Master Dai Hu sighed that many people are learning the Dharma improperly, due to starting on the wrong foot. He explained why a person serious about learning the Dharma should take refuge in the Triple Jewels, and reminded everyone that the sole purpose of learning the Dharma is to become a Buddha, and never for self interest or for one's family.
Some people will go onto the path of the devil because they are unable to curb their rising greed. Alas, they failed to grasp the opportunity in every moment to perform meritorious deeds. They fail to allow their bodhicitta to flourish and do things to benefit others. How can these people ever get the good fortune they so crave for?
Many people wish for a better year in 2016. They hoped for more wealth and blessing from the God of Fortune. However, there is no free lunch in this world. Do not harbor greed or desire, take or steal the thing which does not belong to you. Do not think that no one will know of your unwholesome act. The Heavens and the Earth shall know. The gods and spirits in your body shall know. A word of advice from Master Dai Hu: A gentleman of noble character seeks his wealth in a righteous way. Disasters will always follow unrighteous wealth.
www.masterdaihu.com/9th-recap-2016-cny-lantern-festival-tea-session-with-master-dai-hu/