Each drop may appear separate, but they are of one substance

I was reading articles online on Johnathan Livingston Crab, the world's oldest living captive hermit crab. He's 40 years old! I also watched a news interview with his owner, Carol Ormes of Crabworks. I'm very interested in what the secret is to the crab living that long.

When I heard that the crab roams the house all day I was concerned with how it didn't get stressed or how the humidity change wouldn't effect it (not saying that it doesn't). I can tell she is an awesome crab owner, but she did starting crabbing a long time ago so her care is different (the tank's substrate is thin gravel and the crab has no saltwater?) and he goes into a special tub when he shows signs of molting. What do you guys think about it all? I'm not saying it's bad, I'm just very curious about it even though I'd never do it.

Have you searched HCA forums for Johnathan Crab or Carol Ormes using the Advanced Search engine? I did that a while back and found a couple threads on here talking about Johnathan Crab. If you haven't checked those threads out, it might be something neat to look at.

It's worked for her for 40 years, and his companion Kate passed only a few year ago at I think 37. Her big thing is that she was a microbiologist, so she wanted to make sure the tank stayed biologically friendly to them. I'm not sure if it's luck, or that she did something special with their tank, or if all the time roaming around boosted their immune systems and made them healthier or what. All of the known longest living crabs in captivity have been singletons or in pairs, so that probably plays a large part in her success.

They don't roam the house all day, or at least they didn't when she worked. She would get them out in the evenings after she got home for around 4 hours, she said if she didn't then they would completely destroy their tank overnight! Humidity never seemed to bother them as she lived with them in New Jersey for 25+ years before moving to Florida.

As far as the substrate, think of it as a really chunky sand. They don't actually produce the grain she used anymore, so she's been washing and reusing it for a very long time. I remember reading the posts from when she decided to try coconut fiber for molting for the first time, it was in the mid-90's. She liked the gravel better for daily use so she could keep it cleaner, and then since they would molt for months on end and never together she would separate them out so they would stay safe.

Unfortunately there isn't a lot of history left here on the HCA. There was a crab wiki I think at the Crab Street Journal that had some collected information about her and saved posts from long ago, not sure if it's still around.

When I started crabbing her old Usenet group was still online, as was her original webpage, so I got to read a lot about how she did things during the '90s. (Fish flakes were a staple of their diet and and mini-wieners were a treat at the holidays.) A lot of it flies in the face of anyone trying to recreate a natural environment, but I have to admit after reading about her methods I've laxed up a lot with mine over the years.

Her style of crabbing is indeed what most crabbers done in past years. Which brings back to the idea that there is more than one way to successfully keep crabs. We use to recommend that moulting crabs were separated from the main tank, hence the need of an iso. I remember when first starting out the idea of using an iso to moult was nearly out of practise, except a few hobbyists recommended as such.

It was only in the recent years that i haven't hear much about it, which i think has something to do with keeping ones mouth shut to appeal the masses. Im sure there is pockets of crabbers that still iso besides carol. We still encourage that all crabs have regular access to sw for shell water purposes, and i believe that carol does allow Jonathan to bathe in sw once a week if i am not mistaken.....

Edit. I still remember a year or so ago on another forum crabbers were suggesting the idea that out of tank time and regular exercise increased the lifespan of carols crabs, which is an interesting thought since im the wild they have an unlimited area to roam and then confined into a small glass box. It is an interesting theory regardless whether it is correct or not.

But carol did help advance the longevity of crabs such as heat and humidity, which at the time every few, if any did. And she also was one of the first to allow moulting crabs a hiding place and let them eat their exoskeleton.... if i am not mistaken she used a slate box.....

I've never had any problems with 'Impulse Buying'... They're just things I forgot I had planned to get || Self Designated

She was always very hands on during molts and would go in and help them get their exo off, if I remember correctly. That was where the slate came into play, so she could easily get to them.

wodesorel wrote: She was always very hands on during molts and would go in and help them get their exo off, if I remember correctly. That was where the slate came into play, so she could easily get to them.

Ahh. Though so, glad that my memory hasnt completely failed me.

I've never had any problems with 'Impulse Buying'... They're just things I forgot I had planned to get || Self Designated

One of the best things I have ever done for my crabs is give them the modified hamster wheels! They love them! Last year I adopted some hermies from a nice gentleman that had a hermit that used to try to constantly try to escape the tank. He told me that he used to allow Pinchy time out of his crabitat.

Since I've had them, I added a wheel, and Pinchy has never tried to escape and walks the wheel on a regular basis :) I agree that they need their exercise!! It is important! I admire Carol and everything that she has done for the crabbing community!

Truly blessed to have incredible creatures, wonderful friends and my amazing family in my life!! I'm very thankful & grateful for all of them! www.thehealthyhermit.com

Lots of interesting responses! Hmm, should I make an effort to take my hermit crabs out more? I saw I could get a hamster ball, spray the inside, and let them roll around a closed room for 20 minutes a day (for the crabs that are not digging or molting). Is that a good idea? I have three small PP's for over a year now.

That's really amazing. I've been wondering how old some of the hermit crabs are that people keep on this forum. I have heard that they can live 20+ years, so with all the great care that people here seem to provide their crabs, how old have you all been able to successfully raise them to?

When I was a kid, the prevalent wisdom was that they needed to be provided with some gravel and a water sponge. But back then, home Internet access still wasn't a thing yet, so most people were generally in the dark about proper crab care. Things have come a long way (though sadly, many still seem to be willfully ignorant).

I was reading above that some people seem to think that the success with John and Kate was partly due to their ability to free-roam their owner's home in Florida. I understand the climate would be generally to their liking, since they are native to the southern most portion of Florida, after all.

But don't people in Florida cool their homes with central air like the rest of the country? I would think that would nullify the whole climate aspect of the equation. And if that were the case -- based on what I've heard around here -- they would suffer, since their modified gills required moist air in order to function correctly.

Carol lived in New Jersey for the first 15-20 years she had them, so Florida climate can be ruled out!

She is a unique case because she had a pair of hermits survive this long. You'll find people with one crab who made it, mostly because the crab itself is a hardy individual who was able to adapt to unnatural conditions. We see crabs 10 to 20 years in captivity needing rehomed due to a variety of reasons and the conditions have been similar to what you describe.

Personally, I think part of the reason why hers did so well is that she is a microbiologist. She was always thinking about bacteria and cleanliness and was thinking about what else might affect them.

http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=114116

The common carp or European carp (Cyprinus carpio) is a widespread freshwater fish. Common carp are native to Europe but have been widely introduced and are now found worldwide except for the poles and northern Asia. They live large and small man made and natural reservoirs, and pools in slow or fast moving streams. They prefer larger, slower-moving bodies of water with soft sediments but they are tolerant and hardy fish that thrive in a wide variety of aquatic habitats. Common carp are the third most frequently introduced species worldwide, and their history as a farmed fish dates back to Roman times. Common carp can live up to 20 years.

There is a report of a common carp living an astounding 47 years in captivity. The average size of the common carp is from 40 to 80 cm (15.75 to 31.5 inches) in length and weight from 2 to 14 kg (4.5 to 31 lb). The largest recorded carp, caught by an angler, Colin Smith, in 2013 at Etang La Saussaie Fishery, France, weighed 45.59 kilograms (100.5 lb). Three sub-species with slightly different scale patterns are recognized. C. carpio communis (scale carp) has regular concentric scales, C. carpio specularis (mirror carp) large scales running along the side of the body in several rows with the rest of the body naked, and C. carpio coiaceus (leather carp) with few or no scales on the back and a thick skin.

Wild common carp are typically slimmer than domesticated forms, with body length about four times body height, red flesh, and a forward-protruding mouth. Common carp are omnivorous. They can eat a herbivorous diet of aquatic plants, but prefer to scavenge the bottom for insects, crustaceans (including zooplankton), crawfish, and benthic worms. They can typically be found in small schools, although larger carp often lead a solitary existence.

China is by far the largest commercial producer, accounting for about 70% of carp production. The Romans farmed carp and this pond culture continued through the monasteries of Europe and to this day. In China, Korea and Japan, carp farming took place as early as the Yayoi Period (c. 300 BC – 300 AD). Common carp were brought to the United States in 1831. In the late 19th century, they were distributed widely throughout the country by the government as a food-fish, but they are now rarely eaten in the United States, where they are generally considered pests.

Koi are a domesticated subspecies of common carp that have been selectively bred for color. In Japanese culture, koi are treated with affection, and seen as good luck. They are popular in other parts of the world as outdoor pond fish. Common carp, breaded and fried, is part of traditional Christmas Eve dinner in Slovakia, Poland and in the Czech Republic. Hungarian Fisherman’s soup, a specially prepared fish soup of carp alone or mixed with other freshwater fish, is part of the traditional meal for Christmoride (CuCl).

https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/17300/is-there-a-compound-that-binds-with-salt-nacl-in-solution

Icebergs form from a variety of processes, yet even though they may be found floating in salty seawater, they are primarily made of freshwater. Icebergs form as a result of two main processes, producing a freshwater iceberg: Ice that forms from freezing seawater typically freezes slowly enough that it forms crystalline water (ice), which does not have room for salt inclusions.

These ice floes are not truly icebergs, but they can be extremely large chunks of ice. Ice floes typically result when the polar ice breaks up in the springtime. Icebergs are "calved," or form when a piece of a glacier or other land-based ice sheet breaks off. The ?glacier is made from compacted snow, which is freshwater. https://www.thoughtco.com/fresh-or-salt-water-icebergs-609402

Activated charcoal is charcoal that has been treated with oxygen to open up tiny pores between the carbon atoms, like a honeycomb filled with billions of little holes. According to Encylopedia Britannica: The use of special manufacturing techniques results in highly porous charcoals that have surface areas of 300-2,000 square metres per gram. These so-called active, or activated, charcoals are widely used to adsorb odorous or coloured substances from gases or liquids. The word adsorb is important here. When a material adsorbs something, it attaches to it by chemical attraction. The huge surface area of activated charcoal gives it countless bonding sites.

When certain chemicals pass next to the carbon surface, they attach to the surface and are trapped. Activated charcoal is good at trapping other carbon-based impurities ("organic" chemicals), as well as things like chlorine. Many other chemicals are not attracted to carbon at all -- sodium, nitrates, etc. -- so they pass right through. This means that an activated charcoal filter will remove certain impurities while ignoring others. It also means that, once all of the bonding sites are filled, an activated charcoal filter stops working. At that point you must replace the filter.

https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/question209.htm 

Scanning electron microscope image of the seed inside a MOF crystal. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of compounds consisting of metal ions or clusters coordinated to organic ligands to form one-, two-, or three-dimensional structures. They are a subclass of coordination polymers, with the special feature that they are often porous. The organic ligands included are sometimes referred to as "struts", one example being 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid (BDC).

More formally, a metal–organic framework is a coordination network with organic ligands containing potential voids. A coordination network is a coordination compound extending, through repeating coordination entities, in one dimension, but with cross-links between two or more individual chains, loops, or spiro-links, or a coordination compound extending through repeating coordination entities in two or three dimensions; and finally a coordination polymer is a coordination compound with repeating coordination entities extending in one, two, or three dimensions. In some cases, the pores are stable during elimination of the guest molecules (often solvents) and could be refilled with other compounds.

Because of this property, MOFs are of interest for the storage of gases such as hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Other possible applications of MOFs are in gas purification, in gas separation, in catalysis, as conducting solids and as supercapacitors. The synthesis and properties of MOFs constitute the primary focus of the discipline called reticular chemistry (from Latin reticulum, "small net").[3] In contrast to MOFs, covalent organic framework (COFs) are made entirely from light elements (H, B, C, N, and O) with extended structures.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal%E2%80%93organic_framework 
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The mound of the Plateans in Marathon, Greece

There are two tumuli at Marathon, Greece. One is a burial mound (Greek t?µß??, tymbos, tomb), or "Soros" that houses the ashes of 192 Athenians who fell during the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE. The other houses the inhumed bodies of the Plataeans who fell during that same battle. The burial mound dominates the plain of Marathon, where the eponymous battle took place, along with the tumulus of the Plataeans, and a victory column erected by the Athenians to commemorate their victory over Darius' Persian expedition.

The tumulus is encompassed in a park today. The Battle of Marathon took place on September 12, or possibly August 12, 490 BCE at the plain of Marathon. Athens and its ally Plataea, some 11,000 hoplites in total, attacked a Persian expeditionary force of some 25,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry, with 100,000 armed sailors acting as reserves.

The Athenian forces attacked down a hillside onto the coastal plain, and using the momentum of their tightly packed, heavily armored formation routed the less disciplined Persian flanks, which were unused to fighting heavily armored troops. The subsequent rout left the Persian center exposed and as a result the Persians suffered high casualties as their command structure fell into disarray and as soldiers scrambled onto their ships.

Herodotus claims that the Greeks counted 6,400 dead Persians on the field, but could make no account for those who fled into the swamps off to the north of the battlefield. Herodotus states that the Athenians lost 192 men in the battle and the Plataeans lost 11. There are three monuments of the plain of Marathon, the Athenian Tumulus, the Plataean Tumulus, and a victory column erected by the Athenians.

Both tumuli are fairly standard with hemispherical shapes and with the dead interred within the hole left by the excavation of the dirt that would be piled on top of them. The tumuli are unusual, however, because such monumental burial practices had been out of style in central Greece since the seventh century.

The Athenians normally buried their war dead in the Kerameikos cemetery, with a stele or marker vase to show the location of the deceased. However, some scholars have suggested that the raising of the tumuli was a deliberate attempt to evoke Homer by the Athenians and their allies. This concept is based on the similarities between the structure and interment method used with the tumuli, and the description of the burial practices used by and for their mythical heroes in the Iliad. The Athenian Tumulus stands around 40 feet (12 m) tall and was excavated in 1884 by D. Philios and then again in 1890 and 1891 by V. Stias.

The Plataean Tumulus is smaller at around 10 feet (3.0 m), and was identified and excavated in 1970 by Prof. Marinatos, who was the Greek Inspector General of Antiquities at that time. A large layer of ash and charred bone was found in the Athenian Tumulus while multiple bodies were found inhumed in the Plataean Tumulus. The Victory Column, which has since collapsed and been replaced with a modern replica which matches the original both in height and in general mass.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_tumuli

Kang Kam Chan was a general of the Koryo Dynasty which existed between 918 and 1392. 
...

The Siege of Kuju which occurred in 1231 was a decisive Goryeo victory against the Mongol Empire. After the Mongol army crossed the Yalu river, it quickly captured almost all of Goryeo's border defenses. The Mongol army, however, ran into stiff resistance both at Anju and the city of Kuju (modern-day Kusong), commanded by General Park Seo.

To take Kuju, Saritai used a full array of siege weapons to bring down the city's defenses. Lines of catapults launched both boulders and molten metals at the city's walls. The Mongols deployed special assault teams who manned siege towers and scaling ladders. Other tactics used were pushing flaming carts against the city's wooden gates and tunneling under the walls.

The most grisly weapon used during the siege were fire-bombs which contained boiled down, liquefied human fat. According to an old Mongol general who, toward the end of the siege said: "...I have never seen [a city] undergo an attack like this which did not, in the end, submit." Despite the fact the Goryeo army was heavily outnumbered and after over thirty days of brutal siege warfare, Goryeo soldiers still refused to surrender and with mounting Mongol casualties, the Mongol army could not take the city and had to withdraw.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Kuju

This is one of the last parables we will be looking at.  There are many other parables in the Bible, so if you want to hear more ask your parents to read them to you. This next parable started with a man asking Jesus a question.  The man who asks Jesus a question was very smart. Maybe he was trying to trick Jesus and see if he was a good teacher or not.  This is what he asked: "Teacher, what should I do so I can go to Heaven and live forever?" Jesus replied, "What is written in the Bible?  What do you think?"

The man answered, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself." "That is right!"  Jesus said.  "Do this and you will live forever in Heaven." But the man wanted to know more so asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Jesus decided to answer this question with a parable to help everyone who was listening understand. Jesus said: "There once was a Jewish man walking along a road.  He was coming from Jerusalem and was heading to Jericho, which was a full day or two of walking. The road was rocky and there were small hills all around.

The man was just humming to himself and enjoying the nice day when suddenly a group of men jumped out from behind a hill.  They took all his belongings and tore off most of his clothes.  They didn't want him to follow them so they beat him up very badly, and left him lying and bleeding on the side of the road. A few minutes later, a priest was walking down the same path and noticed the man lying on the side of the road. 

Do you know what he did?  You'd think he would run over and help the man.  Instead he crossed the road and walked on the other side and acted like he didn't see the man. About an hour or so later, another man, called a Levite, was walking down the road.  Levites were people who assisted priests with their work. 

He would probably help the man.  But you know what he did?  He slowed down and walked a little closer to the man, but then kept walking without helping him at all. You might be thinking that maybe the man lying by the side of the road looked like he was resting or something and that is why the priest and the Levite didn't stop to help.

The trouble is, it was easy to tell he was badly hurt.  The man was bleeding, had most of his clothes ripped off him, and he was bruised and hardly breathing. Just a few minutes later, another man came walking.  He was a Samaritan.  One thing you should know about Samaritans is that Jews didn't like them. 

Jews usually didn't treat Samaritans very well, so they never got along.  The man who was dying on the road was a Jew.  So what do you think the Samaritan did?  You would think he would walk by and maybe even laugh at the man. The children's version Bible story of the Good SamaritanBut as soon as he saw the man, he went over to him and felt compassion for him.  He put bandages on his sores and poured oil and wine (which were quite expensive) on the sores to prevent them from getting worse. 

Then he lifted the man on his own donkey and took him to a hotel to take care of him. The next day the Samaritan took out enough money so the man could stay at the hotel until he was well enough to leave. He paid the man at the front desk and asked him to take care of the man.  If he wasn't better after about  two months the Samaritan would come back and pay for any extra cost."

After Jesus finished the story, he asked, "Which of the three men do you think was a neighbor to the man who was left beaten on the side of the road?" The man who asked him the question at the beginning replied, "The one who had compassion and helped him." Jesus told him, "Go and do the same."

http://www.dltk-bible.com/cv/good_samaritan.htm
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...

The Parable of the Prodigal Son – Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.

After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!

I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him.

Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field.

When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' "The older brother became angry and refused to go in.

So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' "'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found'" (Luke 15:11-32).

https://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/

The Parable of the Prodigal Son – Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.

He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it.

Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'

"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' "'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found'" (Luke 15:11-32). The parable of the prodigal son is one of the most well-known stories of Jesus.

It is more commonly referred to as the story of the prodigal son, though the word prodigal is not found in Scripture. To characterize the son as “lost” emphasizes that sinners are alienated from God; to characterize the son as “prodigal” casts an emphasis on a wayward lifestyle. In truth, this particular parable has many points to bring out concerning the nature of man and God. The word prodigal may be defined as “rashly or wastefully extravagant”; the son in the story exhibited this behavior with his handling of his share of his father’s estate. Having prematurely gotten hold of his inheritance from the father he “squandered his wealth in wild living” then, “began to be in need.”

The natural state of unregenerate mankind is always toward lust and greed and extravagance of all kinds; without God we squander our resources and energies until we are void and empty. When the younger son found himself in this state, he remained in the far country working in a contemptible job and willing to eat the food he was feeding to the pigs which were under his care. When we remain in a place of alienation from God, we descend into futility, darkness, and humiliation. The parable of the prodigal son indicates, however, that we do have the opportunity to make a change; we do not have to stay in our hopeless state; we can come to ourselves.

The lost son realized that in his father’s house there was sustenance for him; he humbled himself, willing, if necessary, to be his father’s servant, and started back home. This turning in our lives is the first indication of God’s love for us.

Even recognizing our sinful, hopeless state is initiated in us by God, Himself. “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?” (Romans 2:4). The parable of the prodigal son makes it obvious that God was at work. That he was able to see the younger son when he was still a long way off means that the father was watching for his son, waiting for him, longing for him.

The father runs to him, embraces him, loves him and gives him gifts; he seems totally oblivious to the fact that his son has disrespected him, acted outrageously, and lost everything. The father lavishes upon him, celebrates over him. This is a wonderful picture of the great love of God towards us. He seeks after us, reaches out to us.

When we come to Him, He washes away all our evil deeds of the past, not holding them against us. “You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19). The parable of the prodigal son also shows the attitude of the self-righteous sinner, pictured by the older son.

He quarreled with his father that the younger son had messed up and yet the father had prepared for him the “fatted calf.” Because he considered himself better than the younger son, he could not share in the father’s joy. “My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” The older son’s hardness of heart made him unaware of the riches available to him in his father’s house.

This son complained that he had “slaved all these years.” He had no more love for the father than the younger son; nor did he avail himself of all the good things the father freely provided for him at all times. Both sin and self-righteousness separate us from God. We all require God’s grace, His unearned, unmerited love for us. The father went out to the disgruntled older son. God is He who always continues to seek after us, regardless of the state we are in.

https://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/ 

The iron pillar of Delhi is a structure 23 feet 8 inches (7.2 metres) high with 16 inches diameter that was constructed by a "King Chandra", probably Chandragupta II (reigned c. 375-415 CE), and now stands in the Qutb complex at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Location: Qutb complex at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Height: 7.21 m (23 ft 8 in). Dedicated to: Vishnu. Coordinates: 28°31'28.76?N 77°11'6.25?E?.

 

The Iron Pillar of Delhi is a nearly 24-ft. iron pillar that is located in the Quwwat-ul Mosque. It weighs more than 6 tons and is made of 98% wrought iron. It is thought that the Iron Pillar of Delhi was crafted using forge welding. The pillar is ornate, but hardly awe-inspiring, unless one knows just how long and mysterious the history of it is. The Quwwat-ul Mosque dates back to 1192. It stands around the Iron Pillar in ruins, giving away its great age.

The mosque is a relic of an Islamic India, long-standing, but not long past. The Iron Pillar dates back even further than the ruined Islamic building, which surrounds it, but the iron pillar gives away nothing of its age on first glance. It was forged 1,600 years ago (sometime in the 300s) and moved to Delhi roughly 1,000 years ago, before the mosque was built.

An iron pillar that old should have fallen to dust and blown away with the breeze long before now. Nonetheless, the Hindu-made pillar stands strong above the Islamic ruins that seem as though they will fall to dust long before it does. According to a popular translation of the Brahmi script upon the Iron Pillar of Delhi, the pillar was made for a king (presumably of the Gupta period, given the era of its creation).

It was also made to honor one of the most important Hindu gods – Vishnu. Which Gupta king the Iron Pillar was made for is not made clear by the inscription. However, it is widely believed that the king to which the inscription refers is Chandragupta Vikramaditya. The purpose of the Iron Pillar of Delhi is one of its many mysteries. Some say it was a flagstaff made for the king mentioned in the inscription. Others say it was a sundial at its original home in Madhya Pradesh. Why it is no longer in Madhya Pradesh is yet another mystery.

There is no evidence of who moved the pillar 1,000 years ago, how it was moved or even why it was moved.  All we can say for certain about this aspect of the history of the pillar is that the mysterious Iron Pillar has been part of the Delhi landscape for a very long time.

The biggest and most talked about mystery regarding the Iron Pillar of Delhi is how it has gone seemingly untarnished for this long. There is much said about the amazing pillar that does not rust. This is not entirely accurate. It is certainly in unbelievable condition for its age. However, it is not without rust. There is a small amount of rust beginning to appear on the pillar.

This does not make the pillar’s condition any less mysterious. As mentioned above, it should not even exist anymore. So, how does it withstand the years? Answering that question is not easy. One of the main catalysts for rust is humidity and Delhi is not very humid. This could be one of the factors in the natural preservation of the Iron Pillar of Delhi. Other possibilities include the skill of the men who made the pillar, the quality of the materials used (unlikely) and fortuitous conditions that caused a protective layer to appear on the pillar.

Many sources cite a protective layer of something called “misawite” as the reason for the Iron Pillar’s condition. However, the term misawite seems to appear only in conversation about the Iron Pillar, so it is hard to test the veracity of those claims. Like so many other mysterious objects, the Iron Pillar is not giving up its secrets easily and some, sadly, may be lost to time forever. Someone may have erased the answers to the Iron Pillar’s mysteries from the pages of history hundreds of years ago, never knowing that people would eventually forget.

War or a natural disaster could have claimed the pages of history necessary to explain this strange artifact or the pages simply never existed. Alternatively, the information is still out there waiting to be discovered, through analysis of the pillar itself or rummaging through India’s rich history.

https://www.historicmysteries.com/mysterious-iron-pillar-of-delhi/  

Impermanence
by Dogen
English version by Steven Heine

To what shall 
I liken the world?

Moonlight, reflected

In dewdrops,

Shaken from a crane’s bill. 

 

I went for a walk yesterday to a nearby lake. The sun was out, but the cold… below zero. So cold the snow on the ground was a crystalline powder, causing the sunlight to dance in a thousand ways upon the white. 

 

The sun fooled me when I set out on my walk; I didn’t wear warm enough clothing. Minutes out I had to re-wrap my scarf, winding it up and around my whole head leaving only a narrow slit for my eyes to peer out.

I would expect a land asleep, shut down, merely surviving the cold, but instead I saw a world alive with the play of sunlight. Pines and junipers still green, somehow vibrant with their mysterious life beneath mottled mantles of dazzling white, mazes of squirrel tracks running among them along the snow-covered ground.

And here I stand, witnessing it all from beneath my layers, trying not to be an alien in this harsh, beautiful world that is also my home. I say my hellos, a little too quickly, before the cutting cold sends me back home…This poem by the Japanese Zen master Dogen paints a beautiful poetic image, but what does it really mean? 

What do moonlight and dewdrops have to do with a description of the world? The moon, as I’ve said elsewhere, is a common spiritual metaphor used to describe enlightenment. Moonlight would be understood to mean the radiance of pure awareness that permeates the universe. Here, that moonlight, that awareness, is “reflected / In dewdrops.” Water is often used in Zen poetry as a symbol for the experience of the world — it is tangible, yet ephemeral; it cannot be stopped or grasped.

In the form of dew, it is in it’s most fleeting form, ready to disappear at the slightest heavenly warmth. Each dewdrop can be seen as an individual experience of the world or, alternately, an individual experiencer of the world. 

Each drop may appear separate, but they are of one substance. Although these worldly experiences do not generate light of their own, they reflect the light of pure awareness. Each drop, in fact, fully reflects the whole moon.

There may be one moon above, but each person and Each experience contains the full reflection of that moon within.  This is what Dogen is saying when he answers the question “To what shall / I liken the world?” Our notion of ourselves, our experiences, these are “the world.” And, though this world is fleeting, it still offers us glimpses of the enlightenment that permeates all things, so long as we look at what is reflected within.

Dogen
Japan (1200 – 1253) Timeline
Buddhist : Zen / Chan

Dogen, sometimes respectfully referred to as Dogen Zenji, was a key figure in the development of Japanese Zen practice and the founder of the Soto Zen sect. Dogen was born about 1200 in Kyoto, Japan. At the age of 17, he was formally ordained as a Buddhist monk. Considering the Japaanese Buddhism of the time to be corrupt and influenced by secular power struggles, Dogen traveled to China to discover the heart of the Dharma by studying Ch’an (Zen) Buddhism at several ancient monasteries.

Much of the Ch’an Buddhism he explored utilized koans and “encounter dialogues” to startle the consciousness into enlightenment, but Dogen was critical of this practice. Instead, he was drawn to the teachings of silent meditation. Dogen returned to Japan in 1236.

He left the politicized environment of Kyoto, and settled in the mountains and snow country of remote Echizen Province, where he established his own school of Zen, the Soto school. While he proved to be a talented writer and poet, the core of Dogen’s teaching was to transcend the mind’s addiction to language and form in order to become fully present and recognize one’s inherent enlightenment. 

http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2010/01/08/dogen-impermanence/

ORMUS is the name given to the mysterious white powder discovered by David Hudson in the late 1970’s, which he subsequently devoted his life, and many millions of dollars trying to research and market. 

During his research he discovered that the power he found whilst prospecting for gold had some very strange anomalous properties, not the least of which was the fact that it appeared to be invisible to all forms of modern analysis. In effect he seemed to have discovered an entirely new class of mineral.

But Hudson went further and began drawing parallels with his powder and the work of the ancient alchemists. He believed that this exotic substance was the legendary Philosophers Stone, the mythical prize of alchemical enquiry that could turn base metals into gold, cure any illness, and elevate the soul of man to enlightenment.

So what is it? Well, everything you will hear about ormus is essentially speculation and most of that speculation comes directly from the work Hudson himself carried out. Most of the rest is piecemeal and anecdotal. However there is one theory that seems to have gathered traction over rest and comes in largely from the patent that Hudson applied for in the 1990s.

Ormus (otherwise known as monatomic metals, white powdered gold, M-state materials) then appears to be a group of metals that can exist in an energetic state that defies conventional atomic theory. The name ORMUS is derived from the acronym for Orbitally Rearranged Monoatomic Elements, or ORME’s.

Hudson believed that there were twelve elements within the platinum group of metals whose atomic structure had the potential to mutate, causing the nucleus of the atom to deform which in turn would cause the electrons surrounding the nucleus to orbit in an irregular manner.

The theory suggests that under these specific conditions, these irregular atoms are unable to successfully bond to each other as regular atoms do to form conventional molecules of matter.

In this way, the ORMUS elements, whilst indistinguishable from their elemental counterparts in terms of atomic constituent parts (they have the same number of protons, neutrons and electrons) are thought to behave very differently whilst in this altered state. As they don’t bond with each other they would appear to exist in a non metallic, lose affiliated state such as a powder or ceramic.

This apparent discovery of a new class of element is extraordinary enough but those who have followed Hudson’s work are, by and large, convinced that they also posses remarkable bioactive and quantum level properties. Some of the alleged properties of ormus elements are, if true, nothing short of extraordinary.

http://www.allthegoldyoucaneat.com/blog/2014/02/17/what-is-ormus/