Dharma, sutras, and commentarial interpretations of interest to American Buddhists of all traditions with news that not only informs but transforms. Emphasis on meditation, enlightenment, karma, social evolution, and nonharming.
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White
nationalists, neo-Nazis, “alt-right” clash with counter-protesters as
they enter Lee Park during “Unite the Right” rally 8/12/2017, Virginia (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images).
Me and my family and Pencey Boy say thumbs up to racist free speech and Nazi rallies!
"March on Google" aimed at Venice Beach, 8 other locations amid planned far right rallies
We're keeping our white privilege.
Major cities across the country are bracing for a wave of far right rallies in the coming days. The largest scheduled rally is the “March on Google,” which will take place in nine major US cities Saturday.
The website for the “March on Google” said the event “condemns and disavows violence, hatred, and bigotry and all groups that espouse it such as White Nationalists, KKK, Antifa, and NeoNazis.”
Pres. Trump's Nuremberg-style rallies may have inspired American Nazis (AP).
“Is this an “Alt-Right” event? The answer is no. This is an event for First Amendment supporters from across the country, from all backgrounds, ethnicity, and walks of life. We will not tolerate any incendiary actions, messages, remarks, or gestures that go against the respectful, ‘open basket’ spirit of the event,” the site states.
The “March on Google” rallies are scheduled to take place at these Google locations around the country:
Atlanta
Austin
Boston
Venice Beach
Mountain View
New York
Pittsburgh
Seattle
Washington, D.C.
The Los Angeles-area event was set to take place near Google’s Venice Beach offices at 340 Main St. The event’s website says the protesters will meet at 350 Main St. and are expected to demonstrate from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.
It was unclear how many people were expected to attend. Some alt-right organizations are scheduled to lead more localized demonstrations. More
Boston is preparing for a rally from alt-right group Boston Free Speech on Saturday. The city mayor has said the city won’t tolerate racism, bigotry, and violence.
San Francisco is preparing for two rallies August 26 and August 27. Mayor Edwin Lee said the city can’t condone a rally that incites hate. “I ask that when they chant of hate, San Francisco chants of love. When they talk of despair, San Francisco talks about hope.”
Meet the college student who pulled down a Confederate statue in Durham and defied white supremacy; Bree Newsome: Charlottesville is latest chapter in long U.S. history of Christian white supremacist terror.
Antifa: A look at theAntifascist Movementconfronting white supremacists in the streets
Host Mitch Jeserich talks with James Loewen, emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Vermont, who worked with a commission studying Confederate monuments in Baltimore. Loewen is the author of such books as Lies My Teacher Told Me, Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong, and The Confederate and Neo-Confederate Reader.
Rev. Brittany Caine-Conley of Congregate C’ville talks about the organizing they did on the ground in Charlottesville, Virginia and the role white people should play moving forward.
In this day (dystrumpian times) and age (Kali Yuga), it is not easy to find a proper role model, a hero/heroine, an idol who does not quickly disappoint.
Buddhists (and anarchist punks) have no need for heroes, it is said. But that's not to say we don't enjoy admiring good people doing good things (rejoice/saddhu-saddhu-saddhu!) even as the world comes after them for doing it.
Monster (Mara) breathes down Buddha's neck
Take our heroine Dr. Jill Stein, M.D., Green Party presidential candidate who stood up to the twin-monsters Donny and Hillary and did not succumb to Barry or Bernie's misleading sweet talk. She stands up to corporations at the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) as a water protector and is arrested and threatened with fines and jail.
Where's my Grrl Crew, Boo? - I'm CariBOO.
Kids look up to rich automatons Tadolf Swiftler and Catty Purry because that's what they're fed. Not us.
When we want youthful idols to look up to, we look toward the Himalayas to "Buddha Boy" (Ram Bahadur Bomjon/Maitreya?/Ven. Dharma Sangha) and Sadhvi Saraswati-ji, whom we're calling the living "Goddess Girl" (not to be confused with the revolving Nepalese Kumari).
I blame it on Russell Brand, my ex.
If for no spiritual reason, look how they stand up for animals and our environment! But there are spiritual reasons relating to lives lived dedicated to meditating and awakening in a time of great lust, anger, and confusion (aka "greed, hatred, and delusion," the Three Poisons of the heart and mind in Buddhism).
It's been seven years of meditation, long enough -- according to the historical Buddha -- to attain enlightenment.
(Satipatthana Sutra/"The Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse")
Who is Buddha Boy?
It all began in 2005 under a tree in Nepal.
Ram Bahadur Bomjon (Sanskrit, राम बहादुर बामजान), nicknamed "Buddha Boy" (born circa April 9, 1990), is also known by the monastic names Palden Dorje and now Dharma Sangha. He was born in Ratanapuri, Nepal. He rose to fame when he drew media attention and tens of thousands of visitors by months of complete fasting and meditation. He began his meditation on May 16, 2005 until large crowds disrupted him "because there is no peace" when they started coming to see him in large numbers. He left and reappeared elsewhere in Nepal on December 26, 2006. He left again on March 8, 2007. On March 26, 2007, inspectors from the Area Police Post Nijgadh in Ratanapuri found Bomjon meditating inside an underground chamber of about 7 square feet. More
Buddha Boy no show at Hindu killing festival (Wisdom Quarterly) Gyanendra's kin leads campaign against animal sacrifice [at horrific Hindu Gadhimai Festival]...by Nepal's Buddha Boy Ram Bahadur Bomjan taking up cudgels on its behalf.
Buddha Boy beats instigators... "I took minor action against them after taking them under control when they came to disrupt my meditation... Did Buddha Boy really stand up to instigators?
Mass slaughter of innocent animals for insane Hindu (Judeo-Christian) sacrifice ritual
The 2014 Gadhimai festival is now over, but there are actions you can take to... Stop Animal Sacrifice is website promoting awareness and action against animal... Nepal is predominately Hindu [according to census officials who purposely miscount whole families to make this small country the only Hindu nation in the world] but was the [alleged] birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha [who was actually born in ancient Kapilavastu, more likely in Bamiyan, Afghanistan]. ...Thousands of buffaloes were standing in an enclosure when [Hindu] butchers...
Gadhimai festival in Nepal - Occupy for Animals! It takes up to 25 attempts to kill a big buffalo. The suffering is unimaginable. Campaigners have protested against the widespread public [religious] sacrifice in Nepal... stands in the way of abolishing archaic practices such as animal sacrifice as well... religious icons like the "Buddha Boy" Ram Bahadur Bomjan, among others.
A buddha differs from an ordinary arhat.
Palden: Buddha Dharma...to collect as much information as possible regarding the wonderful ascetic and... According to scriptures, Nepal is an abode of sacrifice and meditation of... When he was only 4 to 5 years old he used to take food set aside for him only after...
Buddha, The Sensible Rationalist!(nirmukta.com) Great store, great wealth is thine; make (cow) sacrifice! ... young Brahmin to debate the Buddha regarding Varna Dharma. The boy tells the Buddha to disprove the fact that Brahmins were ... In contrast to Jainism's extreme opposition to violence toward animals, the Buddha took a moderate stand on this issue.
You take the good, you take the bad, you take it all and there you have...bad karma decrying a good aspirant to enlightenment in our dark and dismal times. About four tiny but fishy websites (Irregular Times, Setopati, The Halkoriya Times, who spell their own name wrong, and Buddha Boy Media) seem to be dedicated-haters trolling Buddha Boy to defame him and take the con view as we take the pro view. But it is good to take in all honest views.
[Practice nonharming. Be patriotic. Love your duty, country, religion (indianexpress.com).]
Ascetic Hinduism is all about ahimsa
Amid the raging debate over cow slaughter and consumption of beef, a sadhvi [female-sadhu or ascetic] attending a meet of various Hindu outfits here has said those who consider eating beef as a status symbol should be hanged [in public as a negative example to others].
The remarks made by Sadhvi Saraswati here last evening triggered a sharp reaction from the Congress, which said her speech would spark communal hatred [because minority Muslims and Christians kill and eat a lot of beef] and asked the BJP-led government in Goa to lodge an FIR against her.
"I appeal to the Government of India that those people who consider eating meat of their own mother as a status symbol should be hanged," Sadhvi Saraswati from Madhya Pradesh said.
"They [those who eat beef] should be brought before the public and hanged. Then only people will know that it is our duty [dharma or social obligation] to protect 'gau mata' [lit., 'cow mother,' source of sustenance, nourishing parent]," she said while commenting on beef consumption during the inauguration of All India Hindu Convention at Ramnathi village here.
Passion for cow-kindness leads to hyperbole?
Sadhvi Saraswati, president of Sanatan Dharma Prachar Seva Samiti of Chhindwada in Madhya Pradesh, also wanted the Hindus to keep arms in their homes to protect themselves:
"If we do not stock arms, we will be destroyed in future," she said.
"Today Bharat [India] is under attack from all directions. Efforts are being made to separate Kashmir from Bharat and also stop the Amarnath pilgrimage. Bharatmata-Gaumata [Goddess "India Mother-Cow Mother"] are being censured," she said.
World-weary beauty and junior Hindu saint
Slamming the demand by some political parties to ban the outfits calling for the creation of the "Hindu Rāshtra," she said they should realize that no power in the country can prevent Hindus from establishing the "Hindu Nation" [in addition to the one India established in Nepal].
She said, "There is no such thing as saffron terrorism," adding that: "Saffron means dedicated life for the nation and dharma."
Nearly 130 Hindu organizations from 21 Indian states and countries including Bangladesh, [Buddhist] Sri Lanka, and Nepal are attending the four-day convention, its organizers said. More
Einstein (left) rejected the offer to be the first president of Israel because he did not support Zionism and the formation of a Jewish state on Palestinian land like the CIA, England, the CIA-groomed Netanyahu brothers and other racist powers did. (Genius Nicolai Tesla on right).
Nearly 50 years after his death, German Jewish scientist Albert Einstein (who was chased out of Germany and welcomed by Princeton, New Jersey) remains one of
America's foremost cultural icons.
In 1933, Einstein became a lifetime member of the Institute for Advanced Study, which had an office on the Princeton campus but was always independent of the university.
A thicket of materials, ranging from
scholarly to popular, have been written, compiled, produced, and
published about his life and his teachings.
Among the ocean of
Einsteinia -- scientific monographs, biographies, anthologies,
bibliographies, calendars, postcards, posters, and Hollywood
films -- however, there is a peculiar void when it comes to the connection
that the brilliant scientist had with the African American community.
Nowhere is there any mention of his close relationship with famous black American actor and bass singer Paul Robeson, despite Einstein's close friendship with him, or W.E.B. Du Bois, despite Einstein's support for him.
This unique volume is
the first to bring together a wealth of writings by the scientist on the
topic of race. Although his activism in this area is less well known
than his efforts on behalf of international peace and scientific
cooperation, Einstein spoke out vigorously against racism both in the
United States and around the world.
Authors Prof. Fred Jerome and Rodger Taylor
suggest that one explanation for this historical amnesia is that
Einstein's biographers avoided "controversial" topics, such as his
friendships with African Americans and his political activities.
Whut uhbout yoo, yeenius Tesla, did yoo oppose racizm? - I'ma notta involveda in politics.
.
This includes his involvement as co-chair of an anti-lynching campaign,
fearing that mention of these details may tarnish the feelgood
impression his image lends topics of science, history, and America.
Combining Einstein's letters, speeches, and articles with engaging narrative
and historical discussions that place his public statements in the
context of his life and times, this important collection not only brings
attention to Einstein's anti-racist public activities, but also provides
insight into the complexities of anti-racist culture in America.
The
volume also features a selection of candid interviews with African
Americans who knew Einstein as children.
For a man whose words
and reflections have influenced so many, it is long overdue that
Einstein's thoughts on this vital topic are made easily accessible to
the general public.
Debunking Albert Einstein as a Civil Rights Activist (snopes.com) As
the authors of Einstein on Race and Racism noted, Einstein's comments
about segregation at Lincoln University reflected his own experiences in
both his...
Albert Einstein, civil rights activist (Harvard Gazette)(news.harvard.edu/gazette, April
12, 2007) Einstein's response to the racism and segregation he found
in... authors of Einstein on Race and Racism (Rutgers Univ.
Press, 2006)
The citizen journalist who videotaped the murder of Heather Heyer was part of Unicorn!
Minneapolis marches in solidarity with murdered anti-racist Heather Heyer
White racists came to riot. Police let them.
Minneapolis, MN – Hundreds of anti-racists and anti-fascists marched in solidarity with Heather Heyer, two days after the white supremacist terror attack in Charlottesville that took Heather’s life.
An effigy of [murderer] James Fields, the domestic terrorist who killed Heyer, was burned in front of the Hennepin County Jail and an Anti-Fascist flag was raised up the flag pole.
Heather Heyer was one of many hundreds of counter-protesters who were in Charlottesville, Virginia, voicing their opposition to a white nationalist, white supremacist, racist, NAZI, KKK gathering called "Unite the Right."
(See below for Unicorn Collective's coverage live from Charlottesville)
The event started outside of the state GOP headquarters building on Franklin Avenue in the Seward neighborhood of South Minneapolis. Speakers spoke against racism and white supremacy and a march went from Seward through Cedar-Riverside and ended in front of the Hennepin County Jail in downtown Minneapolis. More
"Half of the guns in this country (and there are more guns than people in this country) are owned by 9% of the people, mostly in red states" - Ian Masters ("Background Briefing," Aug. 15, 2017, KPFK.org)
Thanks to readers' support Unicorn Riot was able to cover Charlottesville LIVE last weekend
Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) | Twitter (twitter.com/ur_ninja?lang=en) The latest Tweets from Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja). A source of commercial-free, viewer-supported, independent media citizen journalist live video streams. Redistributable ...
Unicorn Riot - Media Bias/Fact Check (How do you rate: Unicorn Riot? Based on their strong use of sourcing and neutral language we rate this source Left-Center).
The Pacifica Evening News (pacificaeveningnews.blogspot.com) A
new study links the most widely used pesticide in California -- sulfur --
to asthma and other respiratory problems among children in farmworker
families living...
The Pacifica Evening News FREE... (tunein.com/radio...) Listen
free online to The Pacifica Evening News, weekdays on-demand. It is a collaboration of KPFA.org (94.1 FM) in Berkeley and KPFK.org (90.7 FM) in Los Angeles
and KFCF.org in Fresno. The hour-long newscast airs on all three
stations...
KFCF FM 88.1 Fresno, CA. | Free Speech Radio ™ (kfcf.org) Join
Professor Eissinger every Wednesday evening at 5:00 pm for an hour-long
discussion about the big-picture issues and how to ... A Marine veteran
breaks the news of hundreds -- possibly thousands -- of naked photographs
of female service members being shared online. Pacifica Evening New: evenings at 6:00 PM.
KPFK Public Radio - Online Archives Archive (archive.kpfk.org) KPFK
Public Radio - Online Archives. Shows will remain here for the number
of days listed. Because of copyright restrictions music .... Pacifica
Evening News ...
Pacifica, CA News » Topix (topix.com/city/pacifica-ca) Latest
local news for Pacifica, CA... Local news for Pacifica, CA continually updated from
thousands of sources on the web. August 14, 2017.
Beautiful female ascetic, Sadhvi Saraswati-ji, speaks to crowd in modern India.
There are hidden dangers in sensual pleasures.
SUTRA: "Thus have I heard. On one occasion the [Buddha] Blessed One was staying near Savatthi at Jeta's Grove, in Anathapindika's monastery. There he addressed the monastics: "Meditators!"
"Yes, venerable sir," they responded.
"Meditators, there are four ways of taking on practices. What are the four?
There is the taking on of a practice that is pleasant in the present but yields pain in the future.
There is the taking on of a practice that is painful in the present and yields pain in the future.
There is the taking on of a practice that is painful in the present but yields pleasure in the future.
There is the taking on of a practice that is pleasant in the present and yields pleasure in the future.
There's no harm in sensual pleasures.
..."What is the taking on of a practice that is pleasant in the present but yields pain in the future?
"'There is no harm in sensual pleasures.' Thus, they meet with their downfall through sensual pleasures. They consort with femalewanderers who wear their hair coiled in a topknot.
"The thought occurs to them: 'What future danger connected with sensual pleasures do those [other] Brahmins and wandering ascetics foresee that they have spoken of the letting go of [relinquishing, abandoning, detaching from, and rejecting] sensual pleasures and describe the full comprehension of sensual pleasures? It's pleasant, the touch of this female wanderer's soft, tender, downy arm!'
O, wandering ascetics, beware of sensual pleasures! There are hidden dangers!
.
"Thus, they meet their downfall through [clinging to] sensual pleasures. Then, having met with their downfall through [clinging to] sensual pleasures, with the breakup of the body, after death, they go to an unwished for destination, the downfall [subhuman worlds collectively called the Great Waste], the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, even the hells.
"There they experience sharp, burning pains, and say: 'This was the future danger connected with sensual pleasures those Brahmins and wandering ascetics foresaw that they spoke of letting go and relinquishing sensual pleasures and described the full comprehension of sensual pleasures. It's because of sensual pleasures, as a result of sensual pleasures, that we're now experiencing these sharp, burning pains.'
Hidden danger: the soft creeping vine
Beautiful female ascetic, Sadhvi Saraswati, seated in front of Krishna and Radha, India
"Just as if a maluva creeper pod were to burst open in the last month of the hot season, and a maluva creeper seed were to fall at the foot of a sal tree.
"The deva[dryad] living in the tree would become frightened, apprehensive, and anxious. Her friends and companions, relatives and kin -- garden devas, forest devas, tree devas, devas living in herbs, grass, and forest monarchs -- would gather together to console her:
"'Have no fear, have no fear! In all likelihood a peacock will swallow this maluva creeper seed, or a deer will eat it, or a brush fire burn it up, or woodsmen will pick it up, or termites will carry it off. And anyway it probably isn't really a seed.'
"Then no peacock swallowed it, no deer ate it, no brush fire burned it up, no woodsmen picked it up, no termites carried it off, and it really was a seed. Watered by a rain-laden cloud, it sprouted in due time and curled its soft, tender, downy tendrisl around the sal tree.
"The thought occurred to the deva living in the sal tree: 'What future danger did my friends and companions, relatives and kin -- garden devas, forest devas, tree devas, devas living in herbs, grass, and forest monarchs -- foresee in that maluva creeper seed that they gathered together to console me:
"Have no fear, have no fear. In all likelihood a peacock is sure to swallow this maluva creeper seed, or a deer will eat it, or a brush fire will burn it up, or woodsmen will pick it up, or termites will carry it off. And anyway, it probably isn't really a seed"?
"'It's pleasant, the touch of this maluva creeper's soft, tender, downy tendrils.'
"Then the creeper, having enveloped the sal tree, having made a canopy over it, and cascading down around it, caused the massive limbs of the sal tree to come crashing down.
"The thought occurred to the deva living in the tree: 'This was the future danger my friends... foresaw in that maluva creeper seed that they gathered together to console me... It's because of that maluva creeper seed that I'm now experiencing sharp, burning pains.'
"In the same way, meditators, there are some Brahmins and wandering ascetics who hold to a doctrine, a view, like: 'There is no harm in sensual pleasures.'
The female ascetic Saraswati
"Thus, they meet with their downfall through sensual pleasures. They consort with female wanderers who wear their hair coiled in a topknot.
"The thought occurs to them: 'What future danger do those [other] Brahmins and wandering ascetics foresee that they teach the relinquishment and analysis of sensual pleasures? It's pleasant, the touch of this female wanderer's soft, tender, downy arm!'
"Thus, they meet with their downfall through sensual pleasures. Then, having met with their downfall through sensual pleasures, with the breakup of the body, after death, they go to an unwished for [rebirth] destination, the downfall [the Great Waste], the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, even the hells.
"There they experience sharp, burning pains. They say: 'This was the future danger connected with sensual pleasures those Brahmins and wandering ascetics foresaw that they spoke of the letting go and relinquishing of sensual pleasures and described the full comprehension of sensual pleasures.
"It's because of sensual pleasures, as a result of sensual pleasures, that we're now experiencing these sharp, burning pains.'
"This is called the taking on of a practice that is pleasant in the present but yields pain in the future. More
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