Science asks: Who were first Americans?

Where do my baby and I belong when you've done this to our world? - Prison? White man's bed?

Illustration of ancient humans in White Sands, which has grass, ponds, birds, and bison with mountains in background (Karen Carr/National Park Service).

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The 1st Americans were not who we thought they were

Let's kill'em 'n honor'em (Squanto)

For decades, [scientists] thought the first humans to arrive in the Americas [yes, there are many Americas, not just the USA] came across the Bering Land Bridge 13,000 years ago.

New evidence is changing that picture. The first people to arrive in the Americas may have arrived around the Last Glacial Maximum, the coldest part of the last ice age (about 26,500 to 19,000 years ago).

During the last ice age, humans ventured into two vast and completely unknown continents: North America [which includes Mesoamerica and the bridge that is Central America to] South America.

Blackfoot tribe members, Glacier Nat'l
Park, Montana, 1913 (Roland W. Reed)

For nearly a century, researchers thought they knew how this wild journey occurred: The first people to cross the Bering Land Bridge, a massive swath of land that connected Asia with North America when sea levels were lower, were the "Clovis," who made the journey shortly before 13,000 years ago. 

According to the Clovis First theory, every Indigenous person in the Americas could be traced to this single, inland migration, said Loren Davis, a professor of anthropology at Oregon State University.

But in recent decades, several discoveries have revealed that humans first reached the so-called "New World" thousands of years before we initially thought and probably didn't get there by an inland route. 

Australian Aborigines here 50K years ago (GH)

• [Science likes to change its mind, or researchers do not do sufficient research before reporting. There were Black aborigines in what is now the United States of America 50,000 years ago, who seem to have been related to the Indigenous Australians. Yet no mention is made of that in this paper.]
• 11 archeological finds that made us question our past
• A deep dive may have solved the mysterious origin of America's earliest language
• Neanderthals more 'human' than generally assumed, says living space study
• Twenty-two astonishing ancient burials
• Archeologists unearth temple challenging history of Christianity in the Roman Empire (It's a religion based on Mithraism and Zoroastrianism)
• 40 fresh pics and memes to stay up late with - Funny Gallery | (ebaumsworld.com)

America Before (G. Hancock)

So who were the first Americans, and how and when did they arrive?

Genetic studies suggest that the first people to arrive in the Americas descend from an ancestral group of Ancient North Siberians and East Asians that mingled around 20,000 to 23,000 years ago.

They crossed the Bering Land Bridge sometime between then and 15,500 years ago, said David Meltzer, an archeologist and professor of prehistory in the Department of Anthropology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and author of the book First Peoples in a New World (2nd Ed., Cambridge University Press, 2021).

Native American National Day of Mourning

But some archeological sites hint that people may have reached the Americas far earlier than that. For instance, there are fossilized human footprints in White Sands National Park in New Mexico that may date to 21,000 to 23,000 years ago [still nowhere near the 50,000 years age of artifacts pointing to Indigenous Australian aborigines arriving by boat, as many others have, including the Chinese and Afghan Buddhist missionaries before Columbus and ancient Egyptians long before that].

That would mean humans arrived in North America during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), which occurred between about 26,500 to 19,000 years ago, when ice sheets covered much of what is now Alaska, Canada and the northern U.S. More

• Laura Geggel, LiveSceince.com, Archaeology News, Oct. 9, 2023 (COMMENTS); Xochitl, Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

 
 
 
 
 

 Comments (14)

P-22 Mountain Lion Festival, LA (10/22)

Fiona Ng, LAist.com, Oct. 21, 2023; Xochitl, Crystal Q. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

A mountain lion stalks by hillside homes in the LA suburbs. Long live P-22 (Johanna Turner).

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Nearly a year after its death, the Mountain Lion Spirit of P-22 lives on in Los Angeles

I thought I loved my cat. I love this one!

This Sunday (10/22/23), Griffith Park is celebrating its most influential transplant: LA's Lion King.

It's a native son who made the trek from the Santa Monica Mountains to its new digs by crossing the 101 and 405 Freeways — and in so doing inspired Los Angeles to dream the impossible dream of building the world's biggest freeway overpass for animals to use, the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing.

"We were told we were crazy, and here we are. It's underway," said Beth Pratt. "It actually started because of the P-22 story and the effect it had on me."

A drawing of a bridge for wildlife to cross over a busy freeway A rendering of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, slated for completion in 2025 (National Wildlife Foundation).

Pratt leads the Save LA Cougars campaign, which helps support efforts to get the historic wildlife crossing built.

The organization is also behind the annual P-22 Day Festival at Griffith Park, where all of Los Angeles is invited to celebrate the city's urban wildlife and its titular king.

LA's Lion King

P-22 Day Festival, Oct. 22 (urbanwildlifeweek.org)

Like the majority of the city, Pratt first heard about P-22 in 2012, shortly after she started working with the National Wildlife Federation.

"I couldn't believe the headlines I was reading that a mountain lion had made a home in Griffith Park," she said.

She learned from biologists working in the area about the plight of P-22 — having arrived after a treacherous journey in Griffith Park only to be trapped there.

"It wasn't just P-22, there were mountain lions all around the Santa Monica Mountains that were facing the same struggle. I asked that day how I could help."

Beth Pratty, Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing

More than a decade later, Pratt and Save LA Cougars have raised some $100 millions toward the construction of the wildlife crossing near the Liberty Canyon exit on the 101 Freeway.

The project broke ground last year. Currently, Caltrans crews are putting up the support system on both sides of the freeway for the bridge to be placed across early next year. The entire crossing is set for completion in 2025. Source (LAist.com) laist.com/news

[Let's kill P-22 then feel sorry for it, like we did the Native Americans, the Palestinians, and most of the other wildlife that used to roam wild throughout the basin, from the foothills to the bay.]

Seven weeks after enlightenment

Crystal Quintero and CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly; Buddhanet.net (e-learning)

Prayer flags flutter over Boudha stupa (reliquary), Nepal (Amiraelwakil/flickr)

(Part I) 18. Seven Weeks After Enlightenment (porlandnonsequitur)

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1. Under the Bodhi Tree

During the first week after enlightenment, the Buddha sat under the bodhi (enlightenment, awakening) tree experiencing the bliss and happiness of complete freedom and final peace. He was liberated from all disturbing thoughts, calm and full of joy.

2. Gazing at the Tree

Woodland spirits (foxintree.com)

During the second week, out of thanks and gratitude to the tree that had sheltered him during his quest for supreme enlightenment, the Buddha stood without moving his eyes as he meditated on the bodhi tree.

Following this example, it is the custom of Buddhists to pay respect to not only the original bodhi tree (which centuries later was destroyed by Muslim religious extremists), but also to the descendants of the bodhi tree that still thrive today, particularly on a giant island just off the southern tip of India, which is the location of the oldest documented tree.

• World's oldest tree: Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, the sacred fig (Ficus religiosa) located in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka: A sapling from the original Bodhi tree in India, under which the Buddha became enlightened was planted in 288 BCE and is the oldest living human-planted tree in the world with a documented planting date (rmtrr.org).

3. The Golden Bridge

Climbing a golden bridge (Vitaliy Raskalov/Krulwich wonders/npr.org)

 
In the third week the Buddha saw through his mind’s eye that the devas [fairies, sylphs, dryads, gandharvas] in the vicinity were not sure whether or not he had attained enlightenment. To prove his enlightenment the Buddha created a golden bridge in the air and walked up and down it in meditation for seven days.

4. The Jewelled Chamber

Triple Gem (thailand-amulets.net)

In the fourth week he created a beautiful jewelled chamber and sitting inside it meditated on what was later known as the "Detailed Teaching" (Abhidharma).

His mind and body were so purified that an aura of six colored rays came out of his body -- blue, yellow, red, white, orange, and a mixture of these five.
 

Today these six colors make up the popular Buddhist flag.

Buddha flags in HK (m.gin/flickr.com)

Each color represented one noble quality of the Buddha: yellow for holiness, white for purity, blue for confidence, red for wisdom and orange for desirelessness. The mixed color represented all these noble qualities.

5. Three Girls

Distractions (dhammawheel.com)

During the fifth week while meditating under a banyan tree, three very charming girls called Taṇhā, Arati, and Raga [Craving, Boredom, and Passion, Mara's three "daughters"] came to disturb his meditation. They "danced" in a most seductive and charming manner and did everything to tempt the Buddha to watch their dance and lead him astray. But he continued to meditate undisturbed. Before long they tired and left him in peace.

• The Buddha's Encounters with Mara the Tempter: Their Representation in Literature and Art (Ananda Guruge)

6. The Mucalinda Tree

Buddha with Mucalinda naga (idewz/flickr)

The Buddha then went and meditated at the foot of a mucalinda tree. It began to rain heavily and a huge king cobra (shapeshifting naga) came out of its den near the tree and coiled its body seven times around the Buddha to keep him warm. And it placed his hood over the Buddha’s head to protect him from the rain. After seven days the rain stopped, and the naga transformed into a young man who paid his respects to the Buddha. The Buddha then said:

Tibetan prayer flags in Nepal, Swayambhunath

"Happy are they who are contented. Happiness is for those who hear and know the truth. Happy are they who have goodwill in this world towards all sentient beings. Happy are they who have freed themselves of attachments and have passed beyond desires for sense-pleasures. The disappearance of the conceit 'I AM' is indeed the highest happiness."

• Deluded "views" as source of misery
• Rocky Mountain Tree-Ring Research

7. The Rajayatana Tree

Many trees figure into the story of the Buddha: He was born under a sal, strived under a banyan, attained under a pipal, meditated under these two, the mucalinda and rajayatana, lived under others, and chose to recline into final nirvana between twin sal trees (WQ/BM).

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During the seventh week the Buddha meditated under the rajayatana tree. On the fiftieth morning, after seven weeks of fasting, two traveling merchants came by. They were named Tapussa and Bhallika. They offered this awe-inspiring ascetic, the Buddha, rice cakes and honey to break his fast. And the Buddha told them some of what he had discovered during his enlightenment.

Golden Shwedagon stupa (Rohit_saxena)

The two merchants, by pledging to go for guidance in the Buddha and his Dharma (his "teachings"), became the first Buddhist lay followers. There was no monastic order (Sangha), no monks or nuns yet. They asked the Buddha for some sacred keepsake to take with them. The Buddha wiped his head with his right hand and pulled out some hair to give to them.

These sacred "hair relics," called kesa datu, were later reputed to have been enshrined by the merchants on their return home to what is now Burma, in Shwedagon Pagoda in the former capital of Rangoon.

What happened to the original bodhi tree?
Dhr. Seven and Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly (SPECULATION)

Bodhi tree, offspring of the original, India

Once the Buddha, being young, failed to rise for an elder ascetic and pay him the customary honors. That elder ascetic thought the Buddha uncouth and complained wanting to know why the younger wandering ascetic would not honor him as was the proper shramanic thing to do. The Buddha later explained that there was no one he could pay homage to as his superior or elder, not even his parents, which brought his father the king much consternation when he returned to Shakya-land. The reason for this is that for him to do so would cause their head to split into seven pieces. This is a common idiom of the day, which seems to mean "completely destroy." The expression comes up, for example, in Sariputra's Lion's Roar, a sutra where his chief male disciple declares his attainments. The Buddha encourages him to pardon a younger monk making false allegations because, should Sariputra fail to, "his head will split into seven pieces." That is, his karma against a fully enlightened elder teacher, Sariputra, will utterly destroy him. The Buddha did not awaken to everything all at once. He learned as he went along, often pondering what would be the best thing to do in a given situation, looking back to what other buddhas had done before him. Therefore, in this scene, he is innocently paying respect to this one tree, honoring it, in a sense paying homage to it. What happened to this tree? It was utterly destroyed by Muslim extremists, who were outraged that people seemed to be engaged in idolatry, which is against their tradition, much as it is against Jewish and Christian traditions. The same may be said of the very land, now known as the state of Bihar, which the Buddha foresaw would always have a time of it.

The Path to Meditation

Pranayama during meditation with kundalini caduceus rising (gnosisonline.com)

Meditation can be difficult enough. How do we get there, to the doorstep of meditation? How then do we enter deeply and sink, expand, or float (depending on the metaphor being utilized) once we arrive at the threshold?

PRANAYAMA

Control or restraint of energy (prana) through the breath is one certain route to success.

Typically, at this time, breath is only talked about in terms of Anapanasati, "mindfulness of in-and-out breathing." There is no attempt made to control, calm, or restrain the breath. It is just observed. This is the principle practice of Goenka Ten Day Retreats, which are free, worldwide, and open to all serious applicants.

Yoga, however, talks about preparing the mind (citta), body (rupa), and spirit (prana) for successful meditation. Diet (fresh, alkalizing vegetarian), flexibility (strength and stretching through poses), skillful restraints on conduct (yama) and observances (niyama) are all part of the Eightfold method of Ashtanga or Integral Yoga. This philosophy, rooted in the Vedas and the writings of seers (rishis) was much influenced by the Noble Eightfold Path, which is the direct route to enlightenment. The latter is generally only explained in very general terms. Yoga's Eightfold method, if explained at all, is much more specific. And it relates to preparing the mind for samadhi (deep states of purified concentration).

The present focus is breath taken out of the context of the other limbs or arms of the method. Breath immediately links mind and body and brings the mind under control for meditation, prepares it, soothes it, and seals it. Mindfulness of breathing then becomes easy, joyful (piti), and extraordinarily powerful.

Energetic body centers visible during meditation (amsnac4.com)

The Science of Pranayama

Swami Sivananda

The practice of breath-control (pranayama) has been viewed with fear in certain quarters on account of certain limitation, namely the absolute necessity of the nearness to a perfected guru, the dietary restrictions, and the like. Swami Sivananda has explained herein in clear terms the vagaries of such fears and has prescribed very simple and safe methods. The book contains suitable lessons for all types of practitioners. Those who follow the special instructions given towards the end of the book can be sure of their guaranteed success and safety. Breath-control is an important limb of Eightfold Yoga. It is equally necessary for all in their daily life. The science of relaxation is also a very valuable gift to readers -- Divine Life Society (publishers).

This is an exact science. Tasmin sati svasaprasvasayorgativicchedah pranayamah -- "Regulation of breath or the control of prana is the stoppage of inhalation and exhalation, which follows after securing that steadiness of asana (posture, base, seat)" -- Patanjali's Yoga Sutras (Ch. II-49).

Svasa mean inspiration, pravasa expiration. Breath is the external manifestation of prana, the "vital force." Breath, like electricity, is gross. Prana, like energy, is subtle. By exercising control over the external, one gets a handle on the inner, more subtle movement of energy. Control of prana means control of mind. Mind cannot operate without the help of prana. The vibrations of prana produce thoughts in the mind. It is this subtle or psychic energy (prana) that is intimately connected with the mind.

If one can control the breath, one can easily control the inner vital force and thereby build up one's meditation to astounding success.

WHAT IS PRANA?

"One who knows prana knows Vedas is the important declaration of the Srutis. The Vedanta Sutras state that, "For the same reason, breath is Brahman." Prana is the sum total of all energy that is manifest in the universe, the forces in nature, the latent powers (physical and mental) dormant in human beings. Heat, light, electricity, magnetism are all manifestations of prana. People manipulate the same influence as the yogi but, of course, do it unconsciously. Breath control makes this influence conscious, brought under the command of the will.

SEAT OF PRANA

The seat of prana is the heart (in exactly the same way that Buddhist Abhidharma or Buddhist Psychology states that the stream of conscious moments (citta) originates in the heart not the brain). Though prana is one, it assumes five forms according to the function it performs. These five reside in various regions of the body (heart, anus, navel, throat, or all-pervading). There are, moreover, sub-pranas.

FUNCTIONS

The five are responsible for respiration, excretion, digestion, deglutition (swallowing food), and blood circulation, respectively, and so on with the sub-pranas. In this way we can begin to understand that inscrutable "consciousness" is not a thing (not synonymous with prana). It is a function of energy.

CONSCIOUSNESS

If Western science is ever to understand it, a paradigm shift will be necessary. The Abhidharma speaks of consciousness as a process, not a "thing." The Five Aggregates (khandhas, skandhas) interact. The first is the aggregate called form or body (rupa). The remaining four are taken together as "mind" or "name" (nama). Consciousness is sometimes spoken of as the stream of countless cittas (moments of consciousness), but it is technically incorrect to think that a citta is a particle or thing that could stand alone and be "conscious." Even a citta is not a citta, as it were, not an "atom" or singular building block of reality, not a "consciousness particle." For it can be broken down and analyzed into parts -- sub-moments -- known as arising, passing away, and between the two a phase called "the turning of that which stands." More than Abhidharma theory, this is a directly observable fact visible to meditators who turn their attention to the physical heart. (To learn about the Abhidharma or to confirm these statements by direct experience, see a living Buddhist meditation master at, e.g., http://www.paauk.org/).

INTRODUCTION

Today, for quick travel, the material world presents us the railway, steamers, aeroplanes, and so forth. But Yogins claim that by yogic culture the weight of the body can be so reduced that it can fly over space to any distance in an instant. They can prepare a magic ointment, which when applied to the soles of the feet gives them power to traverse any distance on earth within a very short time [the Buddhist metaphor is "in the time it would take a strong man to flex his arm or to extend it again"]. By the practice of Khechari Mudra [hand yoga], by applying the elongated tongue to the posterior nasal openings, they can fly in the air. By keeping a magic pill in their mouth they can also move in space any any place in the twinkling of an eye.

Relic Tour in Hollywood

By Seven Jaini for Wisdom Quarterly

The Maitreya Project's Relic Tour came through Hollywood midsummer. (See full schedule for North America and Europe).

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The event, sponsored by Golden Bridge Yoga, included Relic Blessings, relic blessed waters, constant meditation, respectful circumambulation, bell singing (for musicians), and baby Buddha bathing. Relics on display belonged to Shakyamui Buddha, Kassapa Buddha, a few Great Disciples, and the funerary remains of a famous Tibetan lamas. The Buddhist Channel covered the San Jose tour stop earlier this month.

Sample of Shakyamuni's relics (Maitreya Project)

One psychic meditator ("Ron") explains that "relics are condensed consciousness" capable of appearing, disappearing, multiplying, growing, deterioration, and intensification right off the charts of an Integrity Scale.

• What are Buddhist Relics?

Gurmukh (center with turban), Golden Bridge owner, in line for blessing (Seven Jaini)

Relic Blessing -- with enshrined objects placed on head -- in progress (Seven Jaini)