So, Tell Us About Your Avatar.............

[Barry]

My Avatar

First of all allow me to be pedantic about the word avatar. In Hindu mythology an avatar is the manifestation or incarnation of a god. This word seems to have been appropriated by those people who want to reinvent themselves in cyberspace in ‘Second Life’ or other virtual worlds – as if living a ‘first life’ were not wonderful enough. Anyway I digress.

My avatar (sic) is of Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom and knowledge. Bodhisattvas are mortals who having attained enlightenment, choose not to take the final step into nirvana or extinction and so escape the cycle of birth and rebirth. Rather, they have elected to remain behind to help other mortals achieve enlightenment. They are roughly the Buddhist equivalent to saints.



Manjushri’s purpose was to lead beings in an inquiry whereby they could discover the true nature of reality. For that reason, he is usually depicted displaying the two tools essential to that investigation: in his right hand he wields the double-edged sword of logic or analytic discrimination and in his left, a text on Buddhist teaching. Manjushri's sword of discriminating wisdom is tipped with flames to show that it severs all notions of duality. It can cut away delusion, aversion and longing, to reveal understanding, equanimity and compassion. Manjushri is depicted as a youth suggesting that age is not a necessary precursor to wisdom.

The avatar thus combines three of my interests: comparative religion, buddhist iconography and travel (I have been all over the far east to look at the various iconographic styles). The depiction of my avatar is done in the Tibetan style; whose culture was virtually destroyed by the Red Guard during the Cultural Revolution – hence the political comment.

I like to think that there is a connection to the three Alexandrian principles that form the ethical guidlines of AoS

Was it worth the wait? – didn’t think so.

[DaveK]

"Was it worth the wait? – didn’t think so".

Most certainly yes Barry, I for one was fascinated reading it and I'll bet my bottom dollar others will be along very soon with similar sentiments. I spent 2 spells totalling 15 months based in Singapore in the early 80s, where as you may know, there is a sizeable Indian population with the attendant temples. I was fascinated by them then, but found it difficult to get 'close' to any Indian person to learn more. Our company was 99% Chinese and, whilst I made good friends with several of them as individuals I could not accept how they felt completely comfortable with what was, and still is I understand, a very authoritarian (but benevolent ??) dictatorship. Whilst Singapore was where they lived they ALL looked to China as their homeland which was incapable, in their eyes, of doing any wrong, no matter what the circumstances. I kept in touch with a few after I left Singapore, and revisited them a couple of times when on holiday there, but good friends or not, we had to change the subject when Tianamen(sp?) Square or Tibet came up. In their eyes, all the protestors were properly dealt with, in both circumstances.
Anyway, enough from me - I look forward to trying to persuade you to expand on your theme.
Cheers,

[Reid Malenfant]

Ok, time to bring the dead back to life

Well i change my avatar pretty often as i'm kind of indecisive on certain things Here is the present one... danger 240V.gif Pity it isn't animated like it should be

I guess the present one is kind of relevant as i was an electronics engineer in the last two jobs i held down Pay was pretty crap, but not to worry... Next week i'll probably have a different avatar

240V is naff all to worry about in all honesty, i can remember loads of times i got zapped by (admittedly current limited) 4.5KV flash testing due to the night before. All part of the fun imo 240V tingles, try 5 or more kilovolts from a high frequency inverter & see how you like scorched flesh

[The Grand Wazoo]

Well i change my avatar pretty often as i'm kind of indecisive on certain things

I was going to suggest that folks should post their current avatar on here if they're going to be changing it, so that what you write remains relevant!
As for me, well I've been banned from changing mine at all.......it has been decreed!!

[Reid Malenfant]

I think i can manage to add this one to the last post Yes i did find the thread from beyond the grave

Bests, Mark.

[The Grand Wazoo]

Yeah, this one now has it's neck bolts attached - & coupled up to your 240 volts, it's now a Franken-thread!!

[Reid Malenfant]

S2.gif Nice one, offski, film time

[quadsugdenman]

I change my Avatar regularly because I have yet to establish a true identity on the AoS. Although I still have bits and peices of Quad and Sugden equipment I have moved on and should perhaps change my name as it does not truly reflect where I am today.
My current Avatar is a photograph of a photograph of my grandfather working at his bench together with the artefacts associated with his business then. Clockmaker / Watchmaker / Jeweller / Optician!!?? When I was very young he would take me with him when he went to service and mend the clocks in pubs, chapels, and police stations in the Swansea Valley! He was a man I admired, looked up to and still do to this day, although he has been gone a long time.
Maybe I should have followed in the family business? Perhaps I saw the dawn of electronics and microchips sounding the death knell of clockwork and decided that my future lay elsewhere!!

[Barry]

..........
240V is naff all to worry about in all honesty, i can remember loads of times i got zapped by (admittedly current limited) 4.5KV flash testing due to the night before. All part of the fun imo 240V tingles, try 5 or more kilovolts from a high frequency inverter & see how you like scorched flesh

Hmmm! I recieved a 240V 'belt' across the chest (i.e. heart)! I only lived to tell the tale, because I was literally thrown off the stool I was standing on due to muscle spasm. The mains circuit was protected by a 60A fuse! Bloody wonder I'm still alive.

Don't joke about electric shocks. Remember "volts can jolt, but mils (milliamperes) can kill". Especially where the mains supply is concerned. The power stations have gigawatts of power ready to pump into you, if you're careless!

Still living

[Techno Commander]

I have a number of interesting photos depicting hi fi items. I thought this one would be suitable for my needs.

Its also quite eye catching.