$1 000 000 prize

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Modus.Ponens
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$1 000 000 prize

Post by Modus.Ponens »

Hi.

The James Randi Educational Foundation offers $1 000 000 to anyone who proves to posess any psychic power.

http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/1m-challenge.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Buddha prohibited his monks of showing psychic powers to lay people. But what about lay people showing psychic powers? A lay man could get the prize and offer a great part of it to charities or to the Sangha. What would you do?

Metta
'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.' - Jhana Sutta
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pink_trike
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Re: $1 000 000 prize

Post by pink_trike »

Modus.Ponens wrote:What would you do?
I'd continue to practice.
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Mind is Empty
Emptiness is Clear Light
Clear Light is Union
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BlackBird
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Re: $1 000 000 prize

Post by BlackBird »

Wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.
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'The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple. He is the one who knows, not I." - MN. 70 Kitagiri Sutta

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Dugu
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Re: $1 000 000 prize

Post by Dugu »

Or you could just solve one of those "Millennium Prize Problems" (hardest math problems) and win a million dollars.


By the way, if I had psychic powers, I rather use it to make more money at the casinos. LOL Just imagine playing poker and I can read my opponent's hand or play black jack and predict the next card. I'll be multi-millionaire. :jumping: It's much better than revealing my ability and getting only 1 million from James Randi. :D
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poto
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Re: $1 000 000 prize

Post by poto »

Funny thing is, the people who possess Siddhis to level of being able to claim that prize would have no desire to do so. Attachment to the ego, desire for wealth and such things, all act to inhibit the powers. The Siddhis exist based on causes and conditions. Greed and ego are 2 things that can cause the Siddhis to cease. Even desire to develop the Siddhis is often enough to prevent their attainment.
Dugu wrote: By the way, if I had psychic powers, I rather use it to make more money at the casinos.
Ahh, but that's cheating. Basically it's the same as stealing, and imho would incur the same karma as if you had robbed the casino.
Last edited by poto on Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." -- C. S. Lewis
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James the Giant
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Re: $1 000 000 prize

Post by James the Giant »

Randi is one awesome dude, I love the way he debunks psuedo-science and challenges quacks and self-proclaimed mediums and channelers.

Winning the million by demonstrating psychic powers would do a lot to advance the profile of Buddhism in the western world. Not to mention completely revolutionise science.

But sadly I've never met anybody who could do anything psychic. I've met quite a few who have claimed to be psychic, but they have tended to be slightly mentally ill.
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Ben
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Re: $1 000 000 prize

Post by Ben »

pink_trike wrote:
Modus.Ponens wrote:What would you do?
I'd continue to practice.
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Dugu
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Re: $1 000 000 prize

Post by Dugu »

Poto wrote: Ahh, but that's cheating. Basically it's the same as stealing, and imho would incur the same karma as if you had robbed the casino.
Then I'll do some good with my millions, hopefully it can balance things out. :lol:
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Assaji
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Re: $1 000 000 prize

Post by Assaji »

Hi,
Modus.Ponens wrote:The James Randi Educational Foundation offers $1 000 000 to anyone who proves to posess any psychic power.

http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/1m-challenge.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
That's a hoax. Nobody is really tested there:
1.4 Has anyone ever gotten past the preliminary test?

No. Some people use this fact as a reason not to apply – and yet the protocol is never altered once the applicant agrees to it. In fact, we ask the applicant to design the test.

1.5 Has anyone taken the formal test?

No. Applicants must pass the preliminary test in order to move on to a formal test.
http://web.archive.org/web/200803210053 ... h/faq.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

See also:
http://web.archive.org/web/200710300409 ... -randi.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.skepticalinvestigations.org/ ... _Randi.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.rense.com/general50/james.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Metta, Dmytro
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Assaji
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Re: $1 000 000 prize

Post by Assaji »

Hi,

Some well-designed experiments to test your abilities:

http://www.sheldrake.org/Onlineexp/portal/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Metta, Dmytro
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