Zen, Catholic, Jewish (Quaker talk)

Hey, which one is the right religion? - Right for me or right for you? They all have something.

Roshi taking many liberties with the life of the Buddha, from privileged prince to enlightened teacher, followed by Rabbi leading with a joke.

Zen Buddhism and Quakerism: South Jersey Quakers #16

South Jersey Quakers (Salem Quarter) March 15, 2019: Zen Buddhists Catholic Roshi Seijaku and Jewish Rabbi Richard Chimon Simon of Pine Wind Zen Community (Jizo-an Monastery) speak at Woodstown Friends Meeting for Salem Quarterly. They gave a fascinating joint interfaith Dharma talk about Zen (Mahayana) Buddhism and Judaism and Catholicism with many similarities to Quakerism. They then answered questions from Friends in the audience. It is well worth a watch!

COMMENTS

• (@mikesander8551) I’ve listened to this several times and there are so many insights. Thank you for sharing.
• (@Airic) THIS...WAS...AMAZINGGGGG.... thank you for uploading this! I just learned about Quakers, and I've always loved Zen Buddhism so this video was GOLD to me! I think I'm officially identifying myself as a "Zen Quaker"! haha much love!
• (@soulonsoul8035) (edited) This is beautiful, I always felt Quakers and Buddhists were similar😍 I watched and enjoyed the whole thing.
• (@JessiCat1980) I thoroughly enjoyed this teaching - Thank you ❤
• (@sas-lt4qv) What a privilege to hear this beautiful, liberating, generous and astoundingly good talk.  My deepest gratitude to everyone involved in the production of this video. ❤️❤️❤️❤️🙏
• (@Cleisthenes2) he rocks
• (@jamessorensen3447) (edited) When I left the Evangelical Quakers I started studying Taoism. I recently found that both Hicksite Quakers and Philosophical Taoists believe that the most important thing is following the Light. Philosophical Taoism isn't a religion, it is a way of life. There is no dogma, no creed, anyone who follows the Way of Light is probably a Philosophical Taoist even if they know nothing about it.
• (@donalddyer5597) (edited) There. are big differences between Zen and Quakerism.  Zen has a hierarchical structure.  There are head monks, junior monks, and so on. Plus in Zen, unlike Quakerism, there are masters and their students. For me this is problematic because of the potential for abuse.  There have been many reports of Zen masters abusing their students. I have practiced Zen for over twenty years and now have shifted my faith to the Quaker path. Not having clergy is a big draw for me. It seems that this lack of hierarchy limits the potential for abuse
• South Jersey Quakers (Salem Quarter) March 15, 2019: Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

My Secret Spiritual Garden Workshop (3/16)

Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven, Stephanie Hemingway, Harriet S. (Harri's Harvest), Annie Vitality (Fruitluck), Wolf (LAMS), Jen Bradshaw, Ashley Wells, Wisdom Quarterly

• Facebook: Vegan Spirituality, My Secret Garden (3/16)
• My Secret Garden Workshop: Eat, Plant, Learn Sustainable Spring Home Gardening | Facebook)
• WhatsApp Group Invite: My Secret Garden

Let's EAT and taste a vegan menu from an organic garden harvest. This fun afternoon includes learning to plant and tend a home garden and preparation of fresh garden fruit, greens, and culinary mushrooms for a delicious communal meal:

• tacos, desserts, chocolate truffles, gluten-free pasta, salad of baby greens, spicy salsa, fresh pesto, herbal teas...

This month we meet at Harri's Harvest, a garden in Mar Vista, for a very special spiritual healing with Fruitluck.

Harriet Shaham (master gardener at Harri's Harvest on facebook.com/growinfood) leads us through her home garden in Mar Vista (next to Santa Monica).

Plant Specialist Stephanie Hemingway

Stephanie Hemingway, native plant specialist and local landscape designer, demonstrates regenerative gardening practices.

Seven turns our attention to our spiritual relationship with this part of the Earth (named Tovaangar before it was christened Los Angeles) from a local Native American (Tongva/Kizh/Gabrielino) shamanic perspective and the Irish, Buddhist, and yogic view of plants, trees, and healing energies.

Plant-based raw vegan chef (Fruitluck)

Annie Vitality (Fruitluck), a holistic health coach and plant-based raw chef, specializing in fruit cleanses, presents a FOOD DEMO on urban harvesting and talks about making the most of our backyard abundance.

Wolf (@outlaw__wolf), a UC-verified California Naturalist and LAMS (LAmushrooms.org) member, brings their expertise to show how mushrooms enrich the soil and create the green world we experience above ground.

Mushrooms will save the world they built

This event includes a communal circle of sharing, ecstatic breathwork, mindful meditation in nature, herbal healing tea, and delicious eating!

Science finally has evidence for what shamans have always known: plants are conscious and, like the mycelium/mushroom supporters in the soil below, are capable of raising our consciousness and healing us.

The SECRET to spiritual growth is revealed by how flowers, healing herbs, and fruit trees thrive through sustainable, all-natural methods. By getting ourselves grounded, we form the foundation to reach new highs.

The afternoon includes:

• 

  Sustainable means a garden ecosystem that feeds

  Hands-on, how-to gardening demonstrations

• Food prep demo by Fruitluck's Annie Vitality

• Native plant expertise, healing herbs, discussion of magically medicinal mushrooms, plus a dish or two of culinary edibles and delicious fungi

• Tread extra gently on Gaia/Tierra/Bhumi (Mother Earth) and experience vegan gardening from the expanded perspective of spirituality and communion with the land

• Time has sprung forward, the Spring Equinox is at hand (March 19th), it's Easter "Egg" Hunting Season (a reference to the ancient European spring practice of collecting white and colorful oval-shaped mushrooms popping up in the grass), and Los Angeles is green!

PRICE

$30, $40 on the day of; half-price or maybe even FREE but only for those who contact Seven in advance to arrange to bring a talent like massage, energy healing skills, comedy, a vegan platter (menu suggestions above), organic cruelty-free gardening wisdom...

FREE TO RSVP ON MEETUP:

• 

  All this good food and company!

  Disclosure Project: My Secret Garden Workshop: Eat, Plant, Learn, Sat, Mar 16, 2024, 12:00 PM
• Nature Center: My Secret Garden Workshop: Eat, Plant, Learn, Sat, Mar 16, 2024, 12:00 PM | Meetup
• PasaDharma: Secret Garden Workshop: Eat, Plant, Learn, Sat, Mar 16, 2024, 12:00 PM
• Facebook: Spiritual Gardening Workshop: Eat, Plant, Learn
• Facebook Events: Spiritual Gardening in My Secret Garden (Events | Facebook)
• Discover vegan events in Dublin, Ireland | Eventbrite

Lotus Dragon Tea Ceremony Sound Bath (2/24)

Mayumi (partiful.com), Dhr. Seven, Yifan Li (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Hosted by Mayumi with Eric and Lighthawk: Join us for a nourishing evening of harmony, beauty, and vibrational regeneration.

We will commune with the spirit of the Blue Lotus flower through a tea ceremony, then be guided on an elemental dragon journey through sound co-created by Mayumi, Eric Matthew, and Lighthawk.

Blue Lotus (Nymphaea caerulea) is a sacred plant ally that grows on the shores of lakes and rivers, originally from northern and central Africa, along the Nile River. Historically, this water lily was used in ancient Egyptian shamanistic rituals and healings.

The flower acts as a natural aphrodisiac and has soothing, mystical properties. Many believe Blue Lotus has been in use through the ages to become more lucid and awake within dreams.

From Mayumi's transcendent vocals and dragon priestess facilitation to Eric Matthew's deep attunement to sound frequency, flowing with his vast array of instruments to Lighthawk's unique, creative expression, and diverse sonic gifts, this is sure to be a memorable experience.

Lighthawk will also be serving a meal of kitchari for us to enjoy and ground in together after the sound bath.

We are gathering under the radiance of the Virgo Full Moon, so our personal and collective intentions will be amplified during this potent time of purification, healing, and empowerment.

Come receive deep, cellular vibrational regeneration and return to the ancient wisdom living within us all.

☥ This is an intentionally intimate container with the capacity for 13 people, so please RSVP.

LOCATION

The gathering is in Eric's beautiful home sanctuary in the hills of Studio City.

FLOW 𓆃

• 5:00-5:30 pm: Arrival + grounding into the space

• 5:30-7:30 pm: Blue Lotus Tea Ceremony + Sound Bath

• 7:30-8:00 pm: Eating kitchari + community connection + grounding integration

BRING

• Yoga mat or blanket to lay down on and anything that would make you feel comfortable, cozy, and relaxed for the sound bath

• Sacred object(s) you would like to charge on the altar (optional)

• A healthy snack to share as we nourish and connect afterwards (optional)

• Your open heart and full presence

💖 We look forward to sharing this sacred space. ♾️

• RSVP to Lotus Dragon Tea Ceremony (Partiful)

• Venmo $44 to @mayumi_minato to secure a space. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, we are open to offering sliding scale options. Message one of our facilitators to discuss possibilities. INFO: partiful.com/e/vrMYMTJ3N4QThNpKVAyj

• Mayumi on IG: instagram.com/shaktimayumi

MEETUP RSVP:

• Nature Center: Lotus Dragon Tea Ceremony & Sound Bath w/ Mayumi, Eric, Lighthawk, Sat, Feb 24, 2024, 5:00 PM | Meetup

• Disclosure Project: Lotus Dragon Tea Ceremony & Sound Bath w/ Mayumi, Eric, Lighthawk, Sat, Feb 24, 2024, 5:00 PM | Meetup

• PasaDharma: Lotus Dragon Tea Ceremony & Sound Bath w/ Mayumi, Eric, Lighthawk, Sat, Feb 24, 2024, 5:00 PM | Meetup

Ayahuasca w/ Chelsea & Aubrey (video)

Chelsea Handler, Late Show, 2/20/16; Aubrey Marcus; Pat Macpherson (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

Chelsea Handler's Ayahuasca Journey

(The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) Thanks to some potent ayahuasca tea, Chelsea Handler remembered that she loved her sister. There was a shaman present in the context of an indigenous ritual, or the proper set and setting. There was purging. There were insights. And there was time for integration of the experience, but Colbert makes a joke of it for mainstream consumption. It's all a joke, sipping tea to trip balls.

For more content from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: bit.ly/1AKISnR. Watch full episodes of The Late Show. Colbert App: apple.co/1Qqgwk4. Facebook: on.fb.me/1df139Y. Twitter: bit.ly/1dMzZzG. Google+: bit.ly/1JlGgzw. Watch weeknights at 11:35 PM ET/10:35 PM CT only on CBS, anytime, anywhere with CBS All Access.

Ayahuasca: Drink the Jungle

(Aubrey Marcus) Ayahuasca is a full documentary from Aubrey Marcus and Mitch Schultz, Nov. 23, 2020. This documentary follows Aubrey Marcus and Company through a powerful ayahuasca ceremony at SpiritQuest Sanctuary in Peru.

Under the guidance of Don Howard and his team of ayahuasca shamans, Marcus and his tribe experience deeply vulnerable transformational experiences. This beautifully cinematic journey is directed by Mitch Schultz, the director of DMT: The Spirit Molecule, with an original soundtrack by Poranguí.

Marcus first began speaking about ayahuasca on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast in 2011. Since then he has appeared in dozens of other documentaries and media outlets commenting on ayahuasca.

This documentary seeks to help viewers answer the following questions for themselves:

• What is ayahuasca?
• What is it like to take ayahuasca?
• What visions do you have while on ayahuasca?
• What emotional breakthroughs occur during an ayahuasca ceremony?
• Should I take ayahuasca?

Aubrey Marcus | ► Own The Day, Own Your Life ► Aubrey Marcus Podcast ► Ayahuasca documentary ► Get 10% off all Onnit products ► Aubrey Marcus poetry ► Aubrey Marcus binaural beats #Ayahuasca #DMT #Shaman | Listen to the Aubrey Marcus Podcast | ►iTunes | apple.co/2lMZRCn ► Stitcher

Connect with Aubrey Marcus | ► Website ► Instagram ► Facebook ► Twitter | Connect with Poranguí ► Ayahuasca soundtrack ► Website: porangui.com ► YouTube: bit.ly/PoranguiYT ► Spotify ► Instagram ► Facebook

ABOUT: Aubrey Marcus is the podcast founder of Onnit and a modern philosopher who asks the important questions: How do we find our purpose, wake up to who we truly are, have a few more laughs, and human being a little better? The Aubrey Marcus Podcast brings in world-class guests from the fields of athletics, health, business, fitness, science, relationship, and spirituality and asks them to open up about the failures and successes that define their wisdom and character.

Follow on social media to keep up with the latest and meet many of the incredible guests we’ve been honored to have on the show.

Teatime Q&A with Ajahn Sudanto (video)

Ajahn Sudanto (Pacific Hermitage, Washington, USA) via Ajahn Sona (Birken Forest Monastery, BC, Canada), May 3, 2020; Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly

Teatime Q&A with Ajahn Sudanto

Submit questions to Ajahn Sudanto for retreat teatime Dhamma Q&A, 4:00-5:00 pm PDT.

Questions submitted by 9:00 am PDT daily were considered for that evening’s teatime. They were submitted using this form: docs.google.com...

May 2-9: Ajahn Sudanto is from Pacific Hermitage in Washington state hosted these teatime sessions and answered a few questions submitted online.

May 10: Ajahn Sona hosted the final teatime with pre-submitted questions from Pacific Hermitage virtual online retreat participants.

Xmas Retreat: The First Day (Dec. 22)

Ellie Askew, Nature Center Sayalays, Ananda M. (DMI), Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

The retreat began at 9:00 am with a dozen practitioners in the main hall in Arcadia, next to Pasadena. It was a sunny morning, and an American teacher gave instructions on the purpose of sitting with great posture. Palms turned up (to signify letting go), back straight, nothing rigid, everything soft and easy. It makes sitting longer easier.

The first sit zipped by in an hour. Then there was a talk with simple instructions from the historical Buddha -- the Kalama Sutra (the "F*ck Authority Discourse"), the Parable of the Raft, the Analogy of Imponderable Questions (Malunkyaputta Sutra), HOW to let go, the Parable of the Poisoned Arrow, and humor.

Yoga
We had a break and did yoga stretches followed by energizing breathwork. Then we ate lunch together, self serve as much as we wanted, with mindful eating instructions. The food was of great variety, vegan and nonvegan, provided by donors. We all sat together after the monastics, and more people kept arriving.

Dharma talk

Dharma talk by Ajahn Brahm

At 12:30 we began again, this time with a comfortable sitting posture and a talk on the meditations/absorptions by the enlightened British monk, Ajahn Brahm from Australia. It was a fun and heart opening talk on the immediate benefits of developing concentration by letting go, just as the morning instructions had explained.

Then came the second best part -- lying down for a guided meditation of progressive relaxation, focusing on the breath and energy centers to a Tibetan singing bowl. We went so deep that to come out, we sat up in trance, did a demonstration to show that there is no self (anatta, emptiness, suññata), which is to say, all phenomena are impersonal.

Tea ceremony

Green tea is a great tonic for meditation.

We then did a super-slow walking meditation that sped up and spilled out into the sunshine for walking meditation. We came back to lock in the lessons by sitting perfectly still as the original instructions were repeated, connecting everything we had practiced. Then came the tea ceremony, hot green tea and sesame sweets eaten together in mindful silence bringing together into daily life all we had practiced on the cushion.

Field trip

Support Native American Los Angeles

It was now 3:00 pm, and we were given a choice. Everyone voted for a field trip. We loaded up into the Mercedes limousine van and were driven to the highest point in Los Angeles to watch the sun set. We stopped at the Native American Cultural Center, Haramokngna, in the Angeles National Forest on Angeles Crest Highway and learned about the original inhabitants of the Los Angeles Basin.

Chemtrails block our view
Then it was onto the Mt. Wilson Observatory for views of all of LA County and chemtrails being laid down right over us. We came back, and the people staying overnight got their room assignments. There was an optional evening chanting many new people attended, we got snacks, and went to bed to start fresh tomorrow.

(LAM) Look up! What in the World Are They Spraying?

FREE Xmas Meditation Retreat (Dec. 22-25)

Ellie Askew, Nature Center Sayalays, Ananda M. (DMI), Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

I'm a Siberian mushroom shaman anyway.

ATTEND ALL OR DROP IN FOR ANY PORTION OF THIS RETREAT. Looking for mental recharging and spiritual development over the holidays? This retreat will definitely give participants useful tools for life. We'll enjoy a variety of sitting, standing, and walking meditations, with guidance, Dharma talks, and discussions along the way. Sleep over or come over daily: a limited number of free overnight requests at the center accepted. We'll start each morning with group meditation, 8:30 to 9:30 am, and end each day at 5:30 pm. Vegan and non-vegan lunch options, snacks, and tea provided. FREE, donations accepted, as you wish. First come, first served. Waiting list applies. Get your space now.

• Free Xmas Meditation Retreat
• Dec. 22-25, 8:30 AM-5:30 PM
• FREE instruction, food, lodging...

FREE Buddha's Birthday PARTY (+Tea Tasting)

Vesak + Viva Cinco de Mayo Celebration!

Ananda M., Jen B. (Dharma Meditation Initiative), MelaTeas.com; NeighborhoodUU.org; Crystal Quintero, Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, Pfc. Sandoval (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Siddhartha became "the Buddha" under the bodhi tree by awakening to the Truth.

We made it ourselves: Kombucha on ice, salad, shiitake-shroom tacos on organic "sliders" (mini corn tortillas) from Whole Foods (Dharma Meditation Initiative/Pasadena Vegan Love)

Dharma Meditation Initiative - PasaDharma - UCLA - Disclosure Project - Punx

.

LA was Native, Mexican, then US. Let's eat!

On top of our Buddha's Birthday Party ("Buddhist Xmas" called Vesak), Viva Cinco de Mayo Vegan Potluck, and Guided "Bodhi Tree Forest" Meditation...

The Dharma Meditation Initiative is adding a Free Boutique Tea Tasting all on the same day!  RSVP (FREE).

• Dharma Meditation Initiative
• Sequoyah School, Rm. 23 @ Neighborhood Church
• 301 N. Orange Grove Bl. (near Colorado Bl.)
• Pasadena, CA 91103

Special thanks to Ash, owner of Burbank's melateas.com. Check out samples: Mela Teas

.

Healing nature, healing ourselves through tea

Bring food to share. Come with an appetite to sample! Some vegan dish ideas:

• Delivery/takeout from local Thai My Vegan Restaurant
• Whole vegan-cheese pizza from Whole Foods on nearby Arroyo Parkway (only $7 on Thursdays)
• Vegan Indian or other Asian food or something from Veggie Grill (delivery or takeout)
• Chips: Beanfields' corn-free "corn chips" (made from beans and brown rice) in assorted flavors...
• Salads: baby greens, lettuce, kalamata olives, artichokes, tomatoes, anise, shredded carrots, cucumbers, cilantro...
• Mexican salsas: red, raw, fire braised, green tomatillo, super hot, mild, quirky...
• Guacamole: mash avocados with lemon juice, chopped cilantro, paprika, sea salt, chiles, cubed Persian cucumbers...
• Organic mini sliders (Whole Foods $2) corn tortillas
• Dips: olive, pine nuts, hummus, pinto or red kidney beans...
• Rice: fluffy brown basmati, jasmine, Lundberg's...
• Tacos: potato, green jackfruit, grilled veggies, tofu, crumbled veggie burger mix, greens...
• Fruit: classic trays of pineapple, apple, grapes, mango, strawberries, blue berries, raspberries, peach slices, blackberries, cherries...
• Savory veggies: roasted bell peppers, sauteed 'shrooms, squash
• Desserts: whatever delights, gluten-free cookies, cakes
• Utensils: crushed ice, paper cups, plates

Vegan pizza (cheese and meat-free) is delicious and compassionate to animals.

Braising and grilling veggies brings out delicious flavors for a hearty healthy dish.

Salad, Beanfields' spicy nacho chips, guacamole, red salsa, shiitake slider tacos

Exotic Sri Lankan and Indian delicacies: dal (split pea coconut), eggplant, rice, naan

Yams smothered in lima bean soup, greens, salad (Oh Happy Days)

It's "impossible" because it's VEGAN and bleeds beet juice and savory flavor.

Assorted Asian vegan dishes: spinach, green beans, dal, rice, cucumber salad...

Vegan desserts are sweet and sane, not good for you, but not as bad as common junk.

Salad, vegetable curry over yam/sweet potato (Oh Happy Days)

"Tea" (Camellia sinensis) it both soothes and stimulates. Ask Buddhist monastics.

Mela Teas of Burbank, CA features exquisite herbs and florals from Sri Lanka