Sunday, May 18, 2025

Cali Vibes music fest, Long Beach (6/7-8)


Aww, yeah, Man, this is the party to go to
Cali Vibes (calivibesfest.com) is a two-day music festival that takes place at Marina Green Park in Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California. The seaside venue opens at 12:00 pm (noon) on both days. All ages are welcome, but 21+ for the Beach Club. Children 5 and under are FREE (when accompanied by a ticketed adult and excludes the Beach Club, which is strictly 21+). Show takes place rain or shine. Lineup, set times, festival hours, and venue are all subject to change [because of anicca].*

We're tired of work because all work and no play makes Jack and Jill dull folks. We're insane in the

LINEUP
  • Kid Cudi
  • Cypress Hill
  • Ludacris
  • Dirty Heads
  • Marley
  • Slightly Stupid and Friends
  • Rome [formerly of Sublime]
  • Stick Figure
  • Rebelution
  • Steel Pulse
  • Iration
  • Santigold
  • Collie Buddz and more
Will there be sex, drugs, r'n'r?
Now that sex is mostly illegal, maybe cybernauts will have to go inward

Group meditation to put out Cali vibes

Where is the Marina?
We're taking over this bitch beach by arranging ourselves all around, in the sand and on the green, in serene Buddhist meditation until reggae rappers and on the stage make us get up and shake our assumptions from our heads, like the one that says "meditation" is just for caves, closets, and church basements.

Pull that prana, and follow the breath to bliss
There is a way of being in life -- off the mat and into the world. The top of the mountain is a great place, but it's not the only place. One comes down and shares what was gained -- insight, loving kindness, compassion, joy-in-others'-joy, equanimity (unbiased looking on) -- for the benefit of all humanity (our fellow humans who have not yet attained) and divinity (the devas all around us). Since sitting zazen is strenuous on the bum, we may have group yoga and yogic massage available, if people are not too distracted from putting CBD in their pipes and who knows what else. Our goal is to get Cypress Hill off the stage to join us, or better still that they join us beforehand then we join them, so we can rap-rock out to "Ain't Going Out Like That" (from Black Sunday).


Why these four meditative practices? These are called the "Divine Abidings" in Buddhism or Brahma Viharas ("Supreme Abodes"). Why at a rap, rock, reggae show at the beach? Why not? Where better to get "high" (elevated, ecstatic, enlightened) than among spiritually-minded Angelenos and friends of all races and walks of life? Will everyone come to an ashram or temple, or does the spirit house need to come to them sometimes? [Send complaints marked care of Ashley Wells in comments section.]

Ludacris better not play this X-rated song!
Bring a partner, even if she's AI (Replika)
*No ins/outs with the exception of Beach Club pass holders and Hotel and Passes Package holders. There is no festival parking on site, except for the Beach Club [so what, are y'all gonna pay extra for the Beach Club, or what?] and limited parking in accessibility/ADA. Check website later on the Getting Here page for more details about parking near the venue, or use public transport. *Subject to change, everything is subject to change.

What if there's no self, Alan Watts?

Alan Watts The Individual and the World Pt.  1 full lecture (Alan Watts Organization Official)
  • Alan Watts (KPFK 90.7 FM) "Individual and the World," Pt. 1 (from Buddhist Radio, aka "Something's Happening" Sunday mornings at 8:00 am on KPFK with Diane of Hollywood Tuckman, Roy's wife)
Wait, you can't leave us hanging there, Alan. Keep going, keep explaining

SNL: Swapping jokes (Season 50 finale)


Saturday, May 17, 2025

Vesak, North Hollywood, LA (5/18 and 5/25)

Vesak Day | short documentary filmed live in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) for the sacred Theravada festival


Vesak Day Pali chanting of blessings
CLARIFICATION: Sarathchandra Temple in NoHo is celebrating a Bangladeshi Buddhist version of Vesak on Sunday, May 18, and will hold the traditional Sri Lankan version on Sunday May 25, 2025. The monks participated in Long Beach's Bodhi Mission Bangladeshi Vihara's Vesak on the May 17 in the morning and chanting in NoHo in the evening. Why? It is the joyous season of Vesak, which brings out the best in cultural celebrations for countries all over Asia and the diaspora.

Vesak continues on May 25, 2025
In Buddhist Sri Lanka (the tradition of the dominant group, the ethnic Sinhalese), the teardrop island off the tip of Southern India, which is also home to Hindus, Christians, Muslims, and animistic indigenous folk surviving in the jungles, VESAK is a weeklong celebration that is prepared for and remembered for the entire month. The great Los Angeles area has various Sri Lankan Buddhist viharas ("monasteries") in Los Angeles (Dharma Vijaya, which celebrated May 10, 2025), Covina (Mindfulness Meditation Center), the Valley (Sarathchandra Temple, North Hollywood), Sunland, and elsewhere.

Vesak Day in Theravada Buddhist Sri Lanka

Public Vesak celebrations, May 11 and 18th
Sunday, May 18, 2025, will see two giant Vesak (commemoration of the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and passing into final nirvana on the full moon day of the same month called Vesakha on the ancient lunar calendar) celebrations in LA's two valleys. NoHo in the San Fernando Valley holds its annual celebration (beginning tonight, Saturday, May 17th, with chanting of blessings), observing the Eight Precepts, practicing meditation, Pali canon chanting, blessings, and lots and lots of island cuisine on May 18, 2025 and May 25, 2025. Far to the east in the San Gabriel Valley city of Covina, the Mindfulness Meditation Center (formerly the Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara of Hollywood then Pasadena) will have its annual Sri Lankan cultural celebration of Vesak on May 18, 2025, following last Sunday's full moon religious observance (the Uposatha or Poya Day as it is known in Sri Lanka) and meditation retreat. Both events are free, and all are welcome. Wear white. Call to confirm details.

Summer of Love + Road to Kathmandu (travel)



Road to Kathmandu, 1977 (full version)
(mtdd1948) June 15, 2017: India's famed Taj Mahal is an entirely Islamic architectural masterpiece created by Muslims in a land of rock-cut Buddhist marvels and countless Hindu temples? Let's take an overland "magic bus" trip from stuffy London, England, to wild Kathmandu, Nepal.

1967: The Summer of Love

(Free Documentary - History) April 19, 2024: In 1967 an expressive, colorful musical force painted a backdrop of love, social change, fashion, turmoil, and war.

Son, drop your gun and come back home to us!
The world remembers the "Summer of Love" in 1967 [which we always thought took place in '69] as one of those moments when a unique and creative explosion of rock music and popular culture arrived in the UK and US.

This documentary is driven by the soundtrack of the time, which kept the imperial American troops company as they massacred millions of Buddhists in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, powered the American Anti-War and Civil Rights movements, which opened the hearts and minds of Baby Boomers who had matured into hope-filled teens.

This special celebrates 1967 as a famous year full of music and change.  “Stick a flower in your hair [or a soldier's rifle at Kent State] and remember that you are Us not Them.”
Subscribe Free Documentary - History Channel for free: https://bit.ly/2FjRPgV Facebook: https://bit.ly/2QfRxbG Twitter: https://bit.ly/2QlwRiI. #FreeDocumentary #Documentary #History

ABOUT: Free Documentary - History is dedicated to bringing high-class documentaries to a large audience on YouTube for free. See fascinating animations showing the past from a new perspective and explanations by renowned historians that make history come alive. Enjoy stories about people and events that formed the world we live in.

Was the REAL Messiah an erased woman?


Was the REAL Messiah a WOMAN erased from history?
(MorgueOfficial) Premiered May 17, 2025: What if the true Messiah was a woman who’s been erased from history on purpose by the patriarchy named Barbelo? And what if we proved that there's an ancient gospel that was deliberately banned by the early Christian Church that says exactly this? What is Gnosticism?


📚 Explore Morgue's new books: amzn.to/4fJztSQ. Listen to audiobook: amzn.to/3BPabTM 🧪 Unlock PDFs for self-transformation FREE for members or available for purchase: 961819. 🎙️ Follow Podcast stream on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3qYG2pk... 🎥 Access exclusive videos by becoming a member or support here: morgueofficial 🛍️ Official merch: morgueofficial.com. 📲 Follow on social media ⇀ Facebook: morgueofficial ⇀ Instagram: morgueofficial ⇀ Twitter: morgueofficial. #gnostic #enlightenment #occult #esoteric #spirituality #God #biblesecrets #exchristian #Barbelo #sophia #jesus #messiah #gnosticism
  • Morgue, MorgueOfficial on YouTube, May 17, 2025; Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Stones, Ancient Angel Aliens, ET Hindu Math


The most mysterious theories in mathematics | Ancient Aliens
(HISTORY) Highly advanced mathematical theories are discussed in this Ancient Aliens compilation such as Ancient Alien angels and astronauts (Buddhist celestial devas). Watch all new episodes Fridays 9/8c; stream the next day, and stay up to date on all favorite shows on The HISTORY Channel website at history.com/schedule. #AncientAliens
ABOUT: "Ancient Aliens" explores the controversial theory that extraterrestrials have [been with us all along and have] visited Earth for millions of years.

Subscribe for more from Ancient Aliens and other great The HISTORY Channel shows: histv.co/SubscribeHistoryYT. Find out more about the show and watch full episodes on website: histv.co/AncientAliens. Check out exclusive The HISTORY Channel content: History Newsletter (histv.co/newsletter). Website: histv.co/HistoryFacebook (histv.co/Facebook), Instagram (history), TikTok (bit.ly/4kZKjXi).
  • HISTORY, March 6, 2025; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Gay Diddy rumors? Justin Bieber speaks out

Aliens: Otherworldly Beings (TV marathon)

Inside Mexican pyramid MrBeast didn't enter


MrBeast couldn't enter this Mesoamerican pyramid in Mexico - but I did
(Anyextee) May 17, 2025: #MrBeast #ChichenItza #Kukulkan. I was granted rare access inside the Mexico's Kukulkan Pyramid at Chichén Itzá — a place completely off-limits to the public. Even internet influencer MrBeast couldn't get in during his recent controversial visit.

What is hidden inside isn’t just ancient stone, it’s sacred space: hidden chambers, a red jaguar throne, bones in the wall, and a story buried for centuries. This footage was recorded years ago and has never been seen by most — until now.

TIMESTAMPS
  • 00:00 MrBeast couldn't go inside
  • 01:01 Inside the forbidden Pyramid of Kukulkan
  • 02:10 Inside the hidden tunnel
  • 02:46 Ascension through time
  • 03:51 The Hall of Offerings
  • 05:33 The Chamber of Sacrifice
  • 08:01 The Wall of Bones
  • 09:54 The Mayan Ballgame
  • 12:12 What MrBeast didn't see
  • 13:04 Leaving the sacred
  • 14:14 Closing thoughts
What’s Inside This Video: • POV footage from inside the forbidden Kukulkan Pyramid • The Hall of Offerings and the Chacmool statue • The Chamber of Sacrifices and red jaguar throne • Archaeological insights, Maya cosmology, and hidden bones • What even MrBeast couldn’t film during his Mexico video Get the Bonus Clip (Unreleased Detail from the Temple of Kukulkan):

I left out one powerful piece — a visual detail inside the temple that isn’t in this video. Want to see it? It’s available exclusively for Patreon supporters (patreon.com/Anyextee): ► Join the Inner Circle here: anyextee. Subscribe for more rare explorations: ► ‪@Anyextee‬ Like, comment, and share if you want more ancient access.

Tours and Expeditions: Want to explore sacred sites with me in real life? Check out Adept Expeditions: ► AdeptExpeditions.com/tours 📚 Books and more: Want to dive even deeper into ancient mysteries and sacred sciences? Explore Anyextee's published works and writings: ► Anyextee.com

Follow work: Instagram: @Anyextee Twitter/X: @Anyextee Patreon: patreon.com/Anyextee #MrBeast #ChichenItza #Kukulkan #Maya #AncientMysteries #ForbiddenPlaces #LostCivilizations #PyramidInside.

Special thanks to ‪@MrBeast‬ for his efforts and the incredible exterior drone footage. It's epic! All footage is used respectfully for educational and commentary purposes under Fair Use. This video is #mrbeastinspired by and uses drone footage from: MrBeast "I Explored 2000 Year Old Ancient Temples."

Thanks to Chichen Itza, INAH, and Mexico -- home to one of the most extraordinary ancient civilizations on Earth.

SUBSCRIBE OR THE RED JAGUAR CLAIMS YOUR SOUL. Made it this far? Here’s your reward: 🎁 BONUS CLIP (hidden temple detail I didn’t show): 👉 patreon.com/Anyextee 🎵 Music by Epidemic Sound Like the music in this video? Enjoy 10% off with a 30-day trial: shorturl.at/LEOI6
  • Anyextee, YouTube, May 17, 2025; Pfc. Sandoval, Crystal Quintero, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

This is TIBET: Where Earth meets Sky, Pt. 1

Buddha an ET? - Secret biblical texts unlocked


Secret Biblical Texts Unlocked | Ancient Aliens
For thousands of years, cultures around the world have held a belief in "stargates" through which beings have traveled to Earth from distant points in the universe and even from other dimensions. See more in this scene from Season 20, Episode 12, "Unlocking the Stargates." Was the historical Buddha an ET?!

(HISTORY) Watch as these mysterious alien mysteries are intervened by the Bible, see more in this Ancient Aliens compilation. "Angels" are "messengers" (Buddhist gandharvas, extraterrestrials).
New Season Fri., Feb. 7 at 9/8c; stream next day, and stay up to date on all favorite shows on The HISTORY Channel website at history.com/schedule. #AncientAliens
  • HISTORY, Dec. 26, 2024; Pat Macpherson, Sheldon S., Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Abhidhamma w/ Bhikkhu Bodhi (video)

(Tergar) Back to the Roots: Mapping the Mind through Abhidharma with Bhikkhu Bodhi

Tibetan Yongey Rinpoche (Tergar)
Students of the Dharma, tomorrow (Saturday, May 17th, 2025) instead of Bhikkhu Bodhi's regular class on the AN, the venerable American Theravada Buddhist scholar-monk will be giving an online lecture on the Abhidhamma ("Higher Doctrine") through another Buddhist organization, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche's Tergar:
Anthology (Bhikkhu Bodhi)
All regular students are welcome to join this program, which will run from 10:00 am to 11:30 am (ET). Find more details and a registration form here: Tergar Events

Note two options on the registration form: (A) If no translation from English to another language is needed, register to view the lecture through YouTube. (B) If translation into another language is needed, register to view the lecture through Zoom.

With metta, BAUS via Wisdom Quarterly

"Many, fearful of annihilation [extinction] at death, construct belief systems that ascribe to their individual selves, their souls, the prospect of eternal life. A few yearn for a path to liberation but do not know where to find one. It was precisely to offer such a path that the Buddha has appeared in our midst."
- Bhikkhu Bodhi

Details
Ven. Buddhaghosa, the great Buddhist scholar-monk, compiling Theravada Abhidhamma texts
.
Manual of Abhidhamma (Bodhi)
Seeking a deeper understanding of your own mind — a map to greater well-being? Join us for a special online webinar with Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi, a renowned Buddhist scholar and teacher of Buddhist philosophy, as he unravels the profound wisdom of the Abhidharma.

Often referred to as “Buddhist psychology,” the Abhidhamma [the “Dhamma in Ultimate Terms" or “Higher Doctrine”] offers a detailed map of consciousness, illuminating the intricate workings of our thoughts, emotions, and perceptions.

In this event, Bhikkhu Bodhi will guide us through the “topography” of consciousness and core principles of the Abhidharma, exploring how this ancient system of analysis can provide valuable insights into the causes of suffering and the path to innate well-being.

By systematically exploring the inner landscape of mind, we can clarify which mental states lead to suffering, which cultivate happiness and well-being at present and in the future, and which ultimately lead to full inner freedom (enlightenment, awakening, bodhi).

This is a unique opportunity to learn from a renowned master teacher and deepen your understanding of these essential teachings.

Why attend?
Wow, so my emotions actually make sense.
Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi is a respected Buddhist monk, scholar, and translator renowned for his clear and insightful teachings on Abhidharma, the system of Buddhist psychology. Bhikkhu Bodhi's teachings emphasize the importance of understanding the mind by systematically guiding us to recognize confusion and discover the reality that leads to profound self-understanding and lasting well-being.

What will we learn?
But consciousness is too big to understand! - Successful meditators understand it.
.
In this program, participants will get an overview of the Abhidharma's teachings and learn the classifications of consciousness how to cultivate beneficial mental states

What is included in this program?
Included in this LIVE teaching by Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi is a presentation followed by a Q&A session, during which participants may ask what pertinent questions they like.

Cost?
This webinar is free of charge, so no payment is required.
Bhikkhu Bodhi
American Bhikkhu Bodhi
Bhikkhu Bodhi is an American-born Buddhist monk from New York City. After completing his PhD in philosophy at Claremont in Los Angeles. He then traveled to Theravada Buddhist Sri Lanka, where he received full ordination in 1973, under the leading Sri Lankan scholar-monk Ven. Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Mahanayaka Thera. From 1984 to 2002, he served as editor for the Buddhist Publication Society in Kandy, where he lived for ten years with the senior German Buddhist monk Ven. Nyanaponika Mahathera at the Forest Hermitage. He currently lives and teaches at Chuang Yen Monastery (BAUS.org) in Carmel, New York. More

Burma's Shwedagon Pagoda (full doc)


Shwedagon Pagoda: 2,500 years of Burma’s Buddhist legacy | full documentary
(SLICE Full Doc) According to legend, Shwedagon Pagoda was built 2,500 years ago at the top of the Burmese capital Rangoon (Yangon), and its aura still protects the former capital city today. The stupa (reliquary burial mound), which contains eight strands of the Buddha's hair, is the most symbolic and sacred site in the country, 90% of the population of which is Theravada Buddhist.


Its architecture is made up of circles and squares (a mandala), which in Buddhist cosmology represents heavenly planes and earth respectively and is further evidence of how sacred it is. The pagoda's vibrant atmosphere is created by the 20,000 gold plates that cover the building and the precious stones that adorn it. Workers and volunteers spend every day at the site continually restoring it and keeping the stupa beautiful. They do this in expectation that their dedication will cultivate good karma (merit) for their future rebirths. #freedocumentary #shwedagonpagoda #myanmar #burma
Documentary: Wonders of Men EP1: Myanmar, The Shwedagon Pagoda (2018). Directed by: Véronique Legendre and Alexis Barbier-Bouvet. Production: ZED & ARTE #documentary #freedocumentary #wondersofmen #shwedagonpagoda #myanmar #monument #yangon #buddhism
  • SLICE Full Doc, Nov. 25, 2024; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

Lefties Losing It, Beyonce; 'Listen, Liberal'


Lefties Losing It: Leftism 'destroys everything'
(Sky News Australia) Mean spirited right winger Rita Panahi mocks. Today on Lefties Losing It, Panahi assesses some of the biggest leftie meltdowns seen across the planet involving "outraged Karens," democracy denying hysterics, and athletes who just can't stand DJ Trump as the bumbling president keeps on winning now that he's gone all Muslim as a money-making mogul in oil-rich Saudi Arabia.
Listen, Liberal
From the best-selling author of What's the Matter with Kansas comes a scathing look at the standard-bearers of liberal politics. It's a book that asks, What's the matter with Democrats?

It is a widespread belief among liberals that if only Democrats can continue to dominate national elections, if only those awful Republicans are beaten into submission, the country will be on the right course.

But this is to fundamentally misunderstand the modern Democratic Party. Drawing on years of research and first-hand reporting, Frank points out that the Democrats have done little to advance traditional liberal goals:
  • expanding opportunity,
  • fighting for social justice, and
  • ensuring that workers get a fair deal.
Just keep playing! We got the Dems on our side.
Indeed, they have scarcely dented the free-market consensus at all. This is not for lack of opportunity: Democrats have occupied the White House for 16 of the last 24 years, yet the decline of the middle class has only accelerated.

Wall Street gets its bailouts, wages keep falling [in real terms as the dollar is devalued by bad policies], and free-trade deals keep coming.

With his trademark sardonic wit and lacerating logic, Frank lays bare the essence of the Democratic Party's philosophy and how it has changed over the years. A form of corporate and cultural elitism has largely eclipsed the party's old working-class commitment, he finds.

For certain favored groups, this has meant prosperity. But for the nation as a whole, it is a one-way ticket into the abyss of inequality. In this critical election year, Frank recalls the Democrats to their historic goals -- the only way to reverse the ever-deepening rift between the rich and the poor in America. More (Audible)

Friday, May 16, 2025

The Cosmic Buddha Cave? (Ancient Aliens)


Underground alien connections: Esoteric encounters | Ancient Aliens

There's nothing under us but dark dirt
(HISTORY) May 15, 2025:  Enlightenment by spelunking? Welcome to the Hollow Earth civilization of Agartha (the original Mexican Atzlan or European Atlantis?) Is that you, Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva (Kokūzō Bosatsu)? Shingon (Esoeric) Buddhism is closely related to Vedic Hinduism.

Shingon (真言宗, Shingon-shū, "True Word/Mantra School") is one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan and one of the few surviving Vajrayana lineages in East Asian Buddhism. It is a form of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism and is sometimes called Tōmitsu (東密 literally, "Esoteric [Buddhism] of Tō-ji") [1].

The word shingon is the Japanese reading of the Chinese word 真言 (zhēnyán) [2], which is the translation of the Sanskrit word mantra, which means something like "thought instrument" (Japanese "true words" or om'yomi).

The Zhēnyán lineage was founded in China (circa 7th–8th centuries) by Indian vajrācāryas ("esoteric teachers") like Śubhakarasiṃha, Vajrabodhi, and Amoghavajra. 

These esoteric teachings would later flourish in Japan under the auspices of a Buddhist monk named Kūkai (空海, 774–835), who traveled to Tang China and received these esoteric transmissions from a Chinese master named Huiguo (746–805).

Kūkai established his tradition at Mount Kōya (in Wakayama Prefecture), which remains the central pilgrimage center of Shingon Buddhism. More

Check out these otherworldly (inner earth) discoveries and more in this Ancient Aliens compilation:
  • 1. Forbidden Caves 0:00
  • 2. Underground Aliens 5:45
  • 3. Forbidden Caves 2 12:05
  • 4. Underground Aliens 2
Our Earth is hollow? - Shush, it's a secret!
Watch full episodes and stay up to date on all favorite shows on The HISTORY Channel website at history.com/schedule.

Subscribe for more from Ancient Aliens and other great The HISTORY Channel shows: http://histv.co/SubscribeHistoryYT. Find out more about the show and watch full episodes on website: histv.co/AncientAliens.

Check out exclusive The HISTORY Channel content: History Newsletter - https://histv.co/newsletter Website - https://histv.co/History Facebook - https://histv.co/Facebook Instagram - / history TikTok - / history

ABOUT: "Ancient Aliens" explores the controversial theory that extraterrestrials have visited Earth for millions of years.

ABOUT: HISTORY® is the leading destination for award-winning original series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive, and entertaining manner across all platforms. The network’s all-original programming slate features a roster of hit series, premium documentaries, and scripted event programming.
  • #AncientAliens, History Channel, May 15, 2025; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit Shingon