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| Sunday, 22 May 2005 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Good begets good Manopubbangama dhamma - Manosettha manomaya Manasa ce pasannena - Bhasati va karoti va Tato nam sukhamanveti - Chaya va anapayini.
This gatha was recited by the Buddha with regard to Mattakundali, the only son of a rich but stingy man. Mattakundali was seriously ill and was on his death bed, but his father wouldn't consult a doctor as he was too stingy to pay the doctor's fee. The Buddha saw the plight of the boy with his Divine Eye and appeared before him. Mattakundali was pleased to see the Buddha in his last stages. He died with a pure heart overflowing with faith in the Buddha, and was reborn in a heavenly state. The energetic prosper Utthanavato satimato - Sucikammassa nisammakarino Sannatassa ca dhammajivino - Appamattassa yaso'bhivaddhati. Those who are energetic, mindful, pure in deed, considerate, self-controlled, right-living and heedful will find their glory steadily increasing. This was stated by the Buddha with regard to a rich but humble young man. The young man, despite being very rich, had lived an ordinary life without any pretences. He was later elevated to a higher position by the king. The Buddha, on being introduced to him by the king, had described his characteristics as those leading to prosperity. - The Dhammapada ********** Super jumbo on test flight The world's biggest passenger aircraft to date, the Airbus A380 successfully completed its first test flight recently. The giant plane took off from Toulouse in Southwest France and stayed within 160 kilometres of the airport in Blagnac, a suburb in the area. The flight, lasting about four hours, was watched by thousands of spectators who had gathered to witness this milestone in aviation. The four-engined, double-decked A380 with a 280 tonne and 239 feet long fuselage carried six crew members and 20 tonnes of test instruments on board during this test flight. The crew wore parachutes, while fire trucks were stationed along the runway as precautionary measures. Airbus Industrie, the unit of European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., has spent over 11 years and 13 billion dollars developing the aircraft. It comes with a price tag of about 282 million dollars. The super jumbo was formally presented to the world in January. The aircraft, which was initially named A3XX, has the capacity for 555 passengers and a range of 15,000 kilometres. Its wingspan is 262 feet, its main deck is the widest in the world and it has a fully loaded take-off weight of 1.2 million pounds. The twin-deck airliner has lavatories, sleeper cabins, rest areas for the crew, business centres and even a creche for children in the lower deck. It is also said to be very fuel efficient. Airbus has already received over 154 orders for the A380 and among those that have placed orders for the super jumbo jet are the airline services Air France, Lufthansa and Korean Air and the courier company Federal Express. ********** Int'l Day for Biodiversity The International Day for Biological Diversity, as proclaimed by the United Nations, will be celebrated today, May 22. The theme for 2005, as declared by the Secretariat on the Convention for Biodiversity of the UN Environment Programme, is 'Biodiversity: Life insurance for our changing world'. The special day has been declared to increase understanding and awareness about biodiversity issues. Biodiversity is the source of essential goods and ecological services that constitute the source of life for all. The world is changing fast and the growth in human populations and the developments in the industrial sector have put excessive pressures on biodiversity. Today is a reminder about the role biodiversity plays in life and the importance of protecting it. It is an occasion to reflect on our responsibilities to safeguard this diversity for future generations. An additional focus this year is the launch of the Biodiversity Synthesis Report, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. The report is the result of a five-year programme initiated by the Secretary-General to study the relationship between biodiversity and human well-being. |
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The mind is the forerunner of all good states. The mind is chief. If
one speaks or acts with a pure mind, happiness follows, just as one's
shadow never leaves. 
