Thursday, July 24, 2025

You're invited: Altadena Mural (July 24-27)


FULL PROJECT OVERVIEW
You're invited: Prayer for the Earth – A Community Mural in Altadena

Join us in creating a powerful mural that brings our community together for healing, remembrance, and reconnection with Nature, especially in the wake of the recent Eaton and Palisades Fires.

This is a four-day community art build, and you’re welcome to join for one day or all of them:
    Alex Grey would like it.
  • Thursday, July 24 (4:00–9:00 PM), wall building and assembly
  • Friday, July 25 (starts at 3:00 PM), base painting begins and evening design mapping
  • Saturday, July 26 (all day), taping and background painting
  • Sunday, July 27 (3:00–9:00 PM), prayer writing, sealing with gold, and a community celebration (with vegan potluck).
  • RSVP: partiful.com/e/MS6y8u2DAFrgzoX2v0Bz
DONATIONS:
LOCATION:
  • 34.185159, -118.132053
  • Behind former Oh Happy Day Vegan Café in Altadena and Rhythms of the Village (across street from Grocery Outlet)
  • (Enter driveway on E Mendocino St., behind Jack in the Box)
Prayer: FULL PROJECT OVERVIEW
This project was initiated through the invitation of John Hopkins Oh Happy Day Café and Grocery. Together, we’re building something that honors grief, invites hope, and reminds us of our deep connection to one another and the Earth.

This is for you if you care about Altadena, the planet, or the power of collective healing.

No experience needed — just bring your presence. Whether you come to build, paint, write a prayer, or simply witness, you’re welcome.

Supported by:
  • LA Climate Week @climatedesignersla
  • Collidescope Foundation @laclimateweek
  • Climate Designers LA @collidescopefoundation
  • Plant Based Treaty @plantbasedtreatyla @plantbasedtreaty
  • Soul Force Project @soulforceproject
  • Support + Feed @supportandfeed
  • Veggie Grill @veggiegrill
  • (Plus @ganahllumberco @fairoaksburger @graphenstone)
Let’s make something beautiful together.

Ekaterina Sky - Impact Artist - Muralist (@ekaterina.sky.art) • Instagram
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Let’s gather. Let’s honor what’s been lost. Let’s paint something that carries our prayers into the future.
With love and care,
Ekaterina Sky (FULL PROJECT OVERVIEW)
Visual Artist & Facilitator of Prayer for the Earth
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HELP: Ekaterina Sky's Altadena Mural

Contact (ekaterina-sky.com) || Contact | (ekaterina-sky.art)

Help wanted: We need your participation!
Altadena Mural Project is planned for Thursday, July 24, 5:00 pm through Saturday, July 26, 9:00 pm, on Lake Ave. in Altadena, LA County. RSVP to see full location details.
Full Project Overview
I paint by inspiration, downloading visions.
YOU are invited: Be part of the Prayer for the Earth Mural Project in Altadena. This is a community art offering for healing, hope, and reconnection.

Through the invitation of John Hopkins and Sev Dhar of Oh Happy Day Vegan Café and Grocery in Altadena, we welcome you to join the creation of Prayer for the Earth — a mural that honors grief, inspires renewal, and reminds us of our deep connection to nature and one another.

This project is a space for community healing, artistic expression, and collective visioning.
✨ How You Can Participate
(Final schedule to be confirmed — all events will take place during the weekend of July 25–27)
Ekaterina Sky, a contemplative and inspired artist | Les Belles et les bêtes

Prayer for the Earth Mural Weekend: July 24–27, 2025
Final schedule to be confirmed
FULL PROJECT OVERVIEW
🔨 Wall Building and Assembly - Thursday, July 24th (4:00-9:00 pm): Help construct the mural wall (building and assembly of portable wall) — the physical and symbolic foundation of this prayer for the planet.

🎨 Background Painting Days - Friday, July 25th (3:00 pm base painting begins: Join in painting the mural’s first layers. No experience needed — just bring your heart and hands.

🕊 Intention and Prayer Writing - Saturday, July 26th (all day, taping and painting the background): Gather with us to write personal and collective prayers for the Earth and Altadena — adding soul to the mural’s core.

🌿 Final Reveal and Community Celebration - Sunday, July 27 (3:00 pm intentions, prayer writing; 5:00-9:00 pm, sealing prayers and community celebration): Join us for a closing ceremony with sound healing, community talks, spoken word poetry, and music as we unveil the finished mural together.

Next Zoom meeting: Wednesday, July 23
🌍 Supported by:
We welcome more partners, volunteers, and local community members to help bring this vision to life. If YOU care about Altadena post Eaton Fire, the Earth, or the power of collective healing — this is your invitation. Whether you build, paint, pray, or simply witness, your presence will leave a mark.

With care and gratitude,

Ekaterina Sky (ekaterina-sky.com)
Visual Artist and Creator of Prayer for the Earth
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Why are our celebrities all dying?

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God, I love DJ and right-wing politics, Brother!
Ozzy Osbourne (Black Sabbath frontman and drug addict), Chuck Mangione (trumpet musician), Malcolm-Jamal Warner ("The Cosby Show" star), and now beloved bigger-than-life Hulk Hogan (Terry Gene Bollea), one of the world's most view stars, Floridian, MAGA right wing tough guy. There's so much death in the world. How many people die every single day? A hundred seventy-three thousand in 2025, according to World Population Review.

If that many people die a day, does that mean I might day? No, never, that's ridiculous. That's the Impossible Possibility. What the Buddha warned about all day long for 45 years of teaching he called dukkha (disappointment).


Dukkha means not getting what we want, getting what we don't want, losing what we have, separation from the loved, association with the hated...all of these things modern English translators termed "suffering," which is very misleading since that connotes agony or everything sucking all the time. Everything does NOT suck ALL the time. It's just that there's enough stink in the pot to make the stew unappetizing to anyone who pays too much attention. That attention is good because it wakes us up to the problem. Of course, we don't want to know about The Problem, this or any other. We're already aware of too many most of the time, and we seem to actively be trying to forget. We like checking out, pleasure seeking, distractions, temporary fixes at whatever cost.

There are many paths. Why listen to the Buddha?
The Buddha gave two solutions, an immediate one and a permanent one. But it takes some doing, some effort, some focus, and it usually means recognizing that there is a problem (which we don't want to see). Well, the Universe will step in every so often and slap up in the face, like it or not. And for some of us, the problem will get so bad, there's no avoiding it. Imagine American-prison problems. Those are not problems one can easily escape, as oftentimes the so-called "escape" is worse than the problem, like the choice between being eaten by lions on shore or crocodiles in the water.

What's The Problem? Death in a world of radical impermanence is part of it, but it's more insidious than that. Prior to death, there's aging and sickness, loss due to many reasons, and ignorance why anything is happening or why anything has to happen. We act in ignorance, one of the unwholesome roots of conduct, and we get dukkha in return. We wish to know and understand but do not make right effort towards that end, so we get neither knowing nor understanding.

Celebrities die. Why? They die because they are living beings, and there are only one kind of living beings that will not die. However, even they will seem to die. It is not the Gods or gods, who all die. It is the noble ones, the awakened/enlightened. Death (redeath) is followed by birth (rebirth). This is not anyone's first time dying. We have been through it countless time. Of course, since we don't remember, we say that's impossible. We want life to seem fresh and new each time; that has been our way of tolerating it.

But The Problem is much grander. All this dissatisfaction -- which we can call samsara or the Continued Wandering On through the Wheel of Life and Death, beset on all sides by craving for pleasure, wanting and being angry about being frustrated in our desires -- is constantly disappointing. It is constantly changing, hurtling towards destruction, fruitless when obtained, unable to fulfill/satisfy us.

Vatican's gilded Hercules statue holds secret scrolls

The permanent solution is awakening (bodhi) and reaching nirvana (nibbana, the deathless, the real refuge from all danger, the safety of the farther shore beyond our world/universe of constant change and disappointment, loss and blame, aging and illness, and all the many sources of woe).

Will we awaken? Will we set out on the course towards awakening? Or will we just bemoan our lot and seek for the next diversion, temporary pleasure, and promise of eternal life, happiness, and joy after joy, rose after rose with never a thorn in sight?

In the Garden the roses have no thorns...

(Rudimentary Peni) on the fantasy of a literal version of Christian heaven
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10% Happier with Beth Upton (Dan Harris)

There's happiness that does not depend on external things the Budda called piti (rapture)

Beth Upton as Brit Buddhist nun in Burma
Friends, at the beginning of the year, I made a commitment to write more. Since then, I have actually done a little writing every single day. Five gold stars!

Writers tell me it is important to keep up the habit, that practice makes progress. Obviously, it’s the same with meditation, so I am humbly practicing what I preach, trusting that if I just keep writing, eventually something good will come of it.

At the same time, it would be a huge help to know what readers actually want to read about.

Awesome enlightened teacher Pa Auk Sayadaw
My strength, if I dare say so myself, is attending and attuning to the person sitting in front of me. I’ve never been great at addressing a large or anonymous audience. It’s never quite clear what’s being requested of me with such an audience.

So when I sit down to write, I’m often left with a sense of well, What do readers want to know?

A few weeks ago, I recorded a podcast (see above) with the charming Dan Harris. As one can see, I enjoyed the conversation. He asked great questions and did a wonderful job of playing proxy for the average viewer who doesn’t know too much about the world of advanced Buddhist meditation.
The first time Pa Auk Sayadaw came to America, he was invited to California in Napa
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For me, it was my first real foray into addressing an audience I do not know. The same issue crops up here. Of all the precious and hidden gems the Dhamma (the Buddha’s Teaching) has to offer, which of them should I give this hour to? Again, instinct prompts me to ask, What does anyone want to know?

Podcast interview
Venerable Sayadaw Ashin Revata
Dan and I touch on past lives, absorption (jhana), science, and its relationship to the Buddha’s “Doctrine in Ultimate Terms” (Abhidhamma), eventually landing on a topic dear to my heart: the skillful and wholesome (kusala).

But the topic choice from my side was basically just a series of guesses. I don’t really have a clue what the average viewer of Dan’s podcast, or the average reader of my newsletter might want to know more about.

So please let me know at bethupton.com. Let me know in our next one-on-one meeting, or on a group call, or better still, in the comments below.

Also, if anyone would like for me to do more podcasts like this one with Dan Harris, please take a moment to like the video and leave a comment there.

Let us know in the comments which kinds of things the world would want to hear more from me in future videos.

Another successful Western female student of Pa Auk Sayadaw: Dr. Nikki

Where is the Buddhist hermitage they mention?
And for those of wondering where the button is to book one-on-one time with me, I am sending out monthly newsletters, interspersed with these ones that are just me writing about things. Open and read them all, just in case it’s the one with the button. 🌝

All of my work is done on a donation basis, which means that all of this is only possible because of generous voluntary support. Support this work at bethupton.com.

With much metta and gratitude, Beth Upton

What is the “Happiness Recipe,” Dan?
Recipe for happiness: unpacking kusala
There are two kinds of happiness, ecstatic (piti, rapture) and extended (sukha, blissfulness).
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I feel ecstatic!
Key takeaways: Kusala states = happy states: Kusala, drawn from the Buddhist psychology of the Abhidhamma—a system that breaks down experience into its most granular mental and emotional components—refers to a constellation of virtuous, skillful mind states.

Beth Upton calls it a “Buddhist happiness cake,” made from ingredients like generosity, mindfulness, uprightness, loving-kindness, and more.

One entry point unlocks the rest: We don’t need to cultivate them all at once—because focusing on just one quality (like loving-kindness, integrity, or gratitude) invites the rest to arise. These mental states are “best friends” who tend to show up together.

Letting go feels better than giving in: Our culture glorifies small, fast pleasures—like scrolling, snacking, and checking out—but deeper, more lasting happiness comes from subtle, wholesome states.

Letting go of ego and craving isn’t a sacrifice; it’s a relief. It’s not just for monastics: We don’t need a cave or a meditation cushion. Kusala can be woven into daily life—as we parent, commute, chop vegetables, or write emails. More
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Vassa: What is Buddhist Rains Retreat?


What is the Buddhist Rainy Season or Rains Retreat (Vassa)? What is the Rains Retreat or "Buddhist Lent"? Understanding the Vassa and Kaṭhina ceremonies
Each year, Theravāda Buddhist monastics all over the world make a determination to stay in a single monastery for a three-month period of the Rainy Season also known as the Vassa, the Rains Retreat. This year it begins July 10th.

One will hear the term “Vassa” often in this article, so please bear it in mind. Traditionally, it starts the day after the Full Moon Day in July or the day after the Āsāḷha full moon as it is known in the Pāḷi language.

If monks move around a lot and one needs to rely on a teacher, one can at least expect monks to stay at a single monastery for a full three months without moving around. Some make determinations to practice harder, while others who already follow a steady practice simply continue their daily routine as usual.

In this article, let's look at the origins of Vassa, the different types, the allowances to leave the Vassa on business or emergencies, if it affects the age of a monastic, and what happens at the end of the Vassa.

The Origins of Vassa
During the Buddha’s time, monastics (samanas or "wandering ascetics") wandered on foot between different monasteries (viharas), forests, groves, and villages. They would wander during all times of the year, even during the period or season of heavy rains. However, laypeople—especially farmers—began to complain:

“How can the Sakyan [Scythian, Saka, Shakyian] monastics go wandering in the winter, in the summer, and even during the rainy season? They’re trampling down the green grass shoots, oppressing one-sensed living being, and destroying many small creatures. Even the monastics of other doctrines (religions), with their flawed (imperfect) teachings, settle down for the rainy season. Even birds make a nest in the top of a tree and settle down for the rainy season. But not so the Sakyan monastics.”

Out of compassion and to match the culture of the time, the Buddha responded with a new instruction: Anujānāmi, bhikkhave, vassaṁ upagantun'ti. “I allow you, monastics, to enter the rains residence.”*

This rule brought the monastics the Rains Retreat period of three months that met the expectations of the lay communities during the time of the Buddha. It now inspires the practice and striving of monastics, as it has for generations, all the way to the present. Moreover, it inspires laypeople in the present.

Two Kinds of Vassa
The Buddha allowed for two entry points into the Rains Residence: Dvemā, bhikkhave, vassūpanāyikā: purimikā ca pacchimikā ca: “There are two entries, the earlier and the later.” Purimikā (First Vassa) begins the day after the Āsāḷha full moon. Pacchimikā (Second Vassa) begins one month later.

Sometimes referred to as “Second Vassa.” This allowance for two Vassas shows the Buddha’s practical wisdom and compassion because not everything goes right the first time, as will be discussed later. It should be noted that the determination to stay in one monastery for three months is actually the day after the full moon day. This is when the new month starts.

Although most monasteries have the Vassa ceremony on the full moon day and it is a time for a large gathering, that is just for laypeople because they have that day off. Monastics really make the official determination the next day. Most of laypeople will probably never know it really happens on the next day.

Leaving during Vassa: seven-day business rule
Monastics are expected to remain in their Vassa location for the full three months. However, issues may come up where a monastic needs to leave. The Buddha allowed what is called, Sattāhakaraṇīya or “seven-day business.” Some of the many valid reasons include: More
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Pyramids of Poland found...and Bosnia?

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Polish archaeologists have found two megalithic tombs over 5,500 years old that teach us more about the burial practices and engineering abilities of one of Europe’s earliest agricultural societies.

The structures—sometimes called “Polish pyramids” or “giants’ graves” due to their triangular, monumental shape—were uncovered in the village of Wyskoć, in General Dezydery Chłapowski Landscape Park in the Wielkopolska province.

The discovery was made by archaeologists from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań during a field survey regularly conducted using remote sensing technology.

The tombs, whose existence was confirmed through excavations, were constructed by the Funnelbeaker Culture, a Neolithic society characterized by pottery and monumental burials.

The new findings are the second of their kind to be identified in the Wielkopolska region, the first being in 2019. More: archaeologymag.com

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Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Temporary ordination for a Rains Retreat


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(Nick Keomahavong) Many people are looking for the opportunity to become Buddhist monastics, especially Buddhist monks at Thailand's Wat Phra Dhammakaya.

Temporary ordination
All ordination is temp up to enlightenment
There is a specific program for international practitioners who want to become monastics for a few days or weeks is called IDOP, which is short for the International Dhammadayadas Ordination Program.

This program gives Westerners the opportunity to live and train as Theravada monastics. The program is in English and welcomes males from all over the world, not limiting itself to Buddhists.

Once the temporary 30-45 day ordination program is completed, the temporary monks enter the three months Rains Retreat or Phansa or Vassa at Prachinburi Province.

The Rains Retreat is a time for them to continue their monastic training, living a life of Dhamma and meditation.

Life for them slows down as they experience what it is like to truly live the life of a monk. This video was created to give an exclusive inside look and education into what is the annual three months Rains Retreat is like for all Theravada Buddhist monks.

American nun Ven. Tathtaaloka
Thailand also has maechis, or "Eight or Ten Precept Nuns," for females motivated to become monastics. These options are rarer than the traditional male samaneras and bhikkhus. But recent developments have restored even FULL ordination for women in Theravada Buddhist countries so that they can live out the life the Buddha made possible by establishing the Dhamma (Dharma) for their benefit just as well as that of males.
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Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Edgar Cayce/Hinduism: Origin of Soul


It's maya, an illusion, but it follows rules this samsara, wheel of life and death, rebirth and suffering. It is as real as a dream. Are we the divine play of Brahman, GOD, 
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Ozzy dead at 76, NK death metal, misogyny


Ozzy Osbourne, lead singer of original British dark metal band Black Sabbath, as gone Back to the Beginning. He is dead of Parkinson's, which is a way of saying severe drug abuse, addiction, alcoholism, and the toll this took on his robust body. Born in 1948 in Birmingham, England, he returned recently to play a final farewell concert. (There were going to be return shows, as he admitted on stage, but it was to be his last). A man fond of Hoovering drugs, he became a doddering fool, only regaining some clarity on stage in the middle of song, otherwise seeming like a Joe Biden standing there, surprised to look that a crowd had gathered to chant his name and call for old hit songs to be played: Crazy Train, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Paranoid...



The North Korean DEATH METAL band?
(zham) July 7, 2025: Can Zham reach 200 comments? Instagram: czwa0. #deathmetal #blackmetal #northkorea

What is "death metal"?

Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as
  • palm muting and tremolo picking
  • deep growling vocals
  • aggressive, powerful drumming, featuring double kick and blast beat techniques
  • minor keys or atonality
  • abrupt tempo, key, and time signature changes
  • chromatic chord progressions [3].
The lyrical themes of death metal may include slasher [horror] film-style violence [4], political conflict, religion, nature, philosophy, true crime, and science fiction [5, 1, 6]. Building from the musical structure of thrash metal and early black metal, death metal emerged during the mid-1980s [7]. More Death metal
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