Showing posts with label gift. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gift. Show all posts

Thursday, December 25, 2025

New Year Sacred Ceremonies (12/27)

  • Come to a conscious yoga party!
    10th Annual New Year Sacred Ceremony, Fundraiser, and Veggie Potluck with Stella Han
  • KINSHIP STUDIOS kinshipyoga.com
  • Highland Park, Northeast Los Angeles
  • Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, 6:00-10:00 pm
  • Room: Studio B
  • Register here: Kinship Studios
Event: Tenth annual New Year Sacred Ceremony (yoga fundraiser for girls, veggie potluck, and gift-giving blanket Native American tradition). Social, potluck, gift-giving blanket price: $25 in advance, $33 day of event.

Beneficiary: Fundraising proceeds will be donated to Yoga Gives Back (YGB), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that empowers women and children in India through education and micro-loans.
ABOUT: Join us for Kinship Yoga’s beloved annual year-end gathering to honor what we are releasing and welcome what we are inviting in. We do this through community, intention setting, and celebration with live music and activities, plus a vegan/vegetarian potluck to share with all -- and lots of gifts.

All fundraising proceeds are donated to Yoga Gives Back (YGB)!

Event Schedule and Flow
  • 6:00 pm–7:45 pm: Sacred Ceremony - a contemplative space honoring the interconnectedness of all life, with culturally respectful observances and shared intentions for peace and renewal in the year ahead.
    • Smudging with Sage – cleanse and ground as we begin.
    • Guided Journaling – reflect on the past year and set clear, heart-aligned intentions.
    • Sacred Chanting – unite our voices and cultivate collective harmony for the New Year.
  • 7:45–10:00 pm: Gift-Giving Blanket, Fundraiser, and Veggie (vegan/vegetarian) Potluck Gift-Giving Blanket – inspired by Native American traditions. Bring one or more new or gently used (mindful) items to place on the blanket, then select a gift someone else has offered. (No purchase necessary—and re-gifting is highly encouraged!
ALL ARE WELCOME—whether or not you're bringing a gift, come to receive.

Fundraiser for Yoga Gives Back
– How? We’ll host a small silent auction and raffle gift certificates. Anyone can also donate monetarily by Venmo: @stella_han_yoga. (Please note “Yoga Gives Back” or “YGB” + your email and phone; this info is visible only to Stella Han). Cash/checks accepted on site. For checks, please write: “Yoga Gives Back.”

Veggie Potluck (optional)
I have to choose what I wear very carefully.
If you’d like to contribute a vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free dish, please email Stella (coordinator) at email stellaheartyoga@gmail.com or come with the dish's name and all ingredients on a small card. All dishes must be vegetarian or preferably vegan (purely plant based). Please include a small ingredient card for transparency (noting any potential allergens. It's appreciated by the health conscious). Potluck contributors will receive 2 raffle tickets—so please let the host know when arriving with one.

What to Wear?
Yoga pants and gear are fine. Or dress warmly and comfortably. Festive or spiritual white attire is welcome (optional) as we gather to set intentions for the New Year.

Questions? Please contact Stella Han by email (stellaheartyoga@gmail.com) or call the studio or send through the Wisdom Quarterly messaging system.

Second party option (FREE)

All are cordially invited to our festive holiday party to celebrate the winter solstice with good cheer and join a candlelight ritual to bring light to animals suffering in dark places around the globe. The ritual includes devotional chanting with Devi Daly as sacred witnessing and an expression of compassion. As the shortest day and longest night of the year, the solstice symbolizes rebirth, renewal, and the return of the light. May our lights usher in a new era of inner peace and peace for all beings! It's a vegan potluck, too. Calabasas, in the San Fernando Valley More

Tuesday, December 23, 2025

The Buddhist way to give for Christmas


The Buddhist Way to Give at Christmas | No stress, just pure joy
(Buddha's Wisdom) Dec. 23, 2025: What if we could give at Christmas without stress, guilt, or keeping score?
  • šŸŽ CHRISTMAS DOESN'T HAVE TO FEEL HEAVY.
  • DISCOVER HOW BUDDHIST WISDOM CAN TRANSFORM GIVING.
For 2,600+ years, Buddhists have practiced dāna (letting go, giving, sharing, generosity, charity), the art of generous giving that liberates both giver and receiver.

This ancient wisdom offers a profound alternative to the anxiety, obligation, and reciprocity calculations that often shadow modern Christmas giving.

Through Buddhist teachings, human psychology, and everyday Christmas moments, this video shows how giving without attachment changes not only the holiday season…but the mind/heart behind it.

šŸ“æ DISCOVER:
  • The ancient practice of dāna and its three stages of joy (before, during, and after giving)
  • Why expecting gratitude turns giving into stress
  • Why the Buddha said the "gift of Dhamma [the Teaching, Doctrine, Dharma] surpasses all other gifts" and what this means for our Western pagan holiday we call Christmas (Christ's mass)
  • The three moods of giving: reluctant, calculated, and free (and which one we're actually practicing)
  • The hidden emotional contracts behind Christmas gifts
  • How to give, and receive, without pressure, debt, or obligation
šŸ™ If this changes how you experience Christmas this year, subscribe to Buddha's Wisdom for weekly explorations of ancient practices that address modern life. The next video might be exactly what someone needs

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
  • 00:00 Christmas magic meets Buddhist wisdom
  • 01:19 The Christmas giving paradox
  • 03:19 What is Dāna? The Buddhist art of generosity
  • 06:13 The three moods of giving
  • 11:01 How to practice dāna at Christmas
  • 17:29 The ultimate Buddhist Christmas gift
  • 19:30 The one gift experiment
šŸ“± JOIN COMMUNITY: Instagram (buddhaswizdom), Facebook (buddhaswizdom), X (x.com/BuddhasWizdom), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/5ndnBU5...), TikTok (buddhas.wisdom). ☕ Support the channel: buymeacoffee.com/buddhaswisdom

#Buddhism, #Christmas, #BuddhistWisdom, #Dāna, #MindfulGiving, #StressFreeChristmas, #BuddhistTeachings, #Generosity, #SpiritualWisdom, #christmasgiving #Mindfulness #NonAttachment #HolidayStress #InnerPeace

šŸ“š SOURCES AND FURTHER READING:
PRIMARY TEXTS:
  • The Dhammapada (verse on the gift of Dhamma)
  • Early Buddhist texts in the Pāli canon (teachings on dāna and generosity)
  • Accounts of Anāthapiį¹‡įøika's generosity (Vinaya Piį¹­aka)
  • The Buddha's final teaching (Mahāparinibbāna Sutta)
SCHOLARLY CONTEXT:
"Dāna: The Practice of Giving" - Selected Essays from Early Buddhist Texts
"Generosity in Early Buddhism" - Bhikkhu Bodhi's translations and commentaries
"Buddhist Ethics" - Damien Keown (Oxford University Press)

MODERN APPLICATIONS: Studies on mindful giving and psychological wellbeing
Research on gratitude practices and stress reduction
Comparative religious studies: Generosity across traditions

© Buddha's Wisdom - Making ancient wisdom accessible for modern life.
  • Buddha's Wisdom (YouTube), Dec. 23, 2025; Ashley Wells, Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Sheldon S., Crystal Quintero, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Monday, December 8, 2025

Dalai Lama in Wisconsin: Kalachakra

14th Dalai Lama praying in pavilion, closing Kalachakra mandala (Verizon Center, D.C.)

The 14th Dalai Lama comes to Wisconsin to perform the ancient Kalachakra ritual.

The Dalai Lama's Gift
Tantric Dakini deity
(Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive) A hidden ritual. A sacred promise. A transmission into a buddha's transcendent compassionate wisdom. A corn field transformed.

In 1980, HH the Dalai Lama received a humble request from a revered Tibetan monk in America: Perform the Kalachakra initiation—a powerful tantric ritual never before held outside of India or Tibet—in the heart of rural Wisconsin.
 
What followed was nothing short of miraculous. In just a few months, the lama's devoted students overcame local resistance, built a temple from the ground up, and transformed a Midwestern cornfield into a site of ancient wisdom and spiritual awakening, attracting over 1,000 spiritual seekers from around the world.


Captured on film then locked away in Smithsonian vaults for over 40 years, this long-lost footage resurfaces to reveal a story of transformation to buddhahood, and a moment when time, space, and a sacred initiation converged in the unlikeliest of places.

This story of the 1981 Kalachakra is told through the voices of distinguished scholars and the initiates who participated in the 1981 Kalachakra and through personal interviews of the Dalai Lama, filmed in 1981, throughout the preparation and the event.

The Dalai Lama’s Gift is a cinematic meditation on faith, legacy, and the power of one sacred encounter to ripple across generations.

For more information, please explore DalaiLamaGift.org. We invite all to support this project at spiritualpaths.net/donate.

2O24 | US | English | 76 minutes. DIRECTOR/PRODUCER Ed Bastian. Co-PRODUCER  Sharpa Tulku, Catherine Wyler, Jennifer Beman. EDITOR/WRITER Jennifer Beman. MUSIC: Nawang Khechog, Three Dog Night, Daniel Moore. ART AND ANIMATION: Pema Namdol Thaye.

ABOUT: Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. Bringing the teachings of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the "Kalachakra - Wheel of Time" transmission. Visit at LamaYeshe.com.

Friday, August 29, 2025

Burning Man Day 5, going strong, silent


Burning Man at night 2025!

(Breeze Offroad) Aug. 29, 2025: BLACK ROCK CITY, Nevada - šŸ”„ Burning Man is a week-long, radically creative gathering held annually in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. It’s not a music festival, not a trade show, and definitely not an average [basic b*tch] party. Well, then, what is it? —It’s a temporary city built from scratch by tens of thousands of active and creative participants who come to share art, ideas, and experiences. #burningman2025 #burningmanfestival #blackrockcity

  • Our de facto correspondent (Escaping Normal Life) has gone silent. Are we worried? No. Maybe he's having a near death experience or something life-altering. The show must go on. Readers want to know, so here's the update:
Burning Man has an "Orgy Dome"?
BURNING MAN 2025 ORGY DOME: On August 27, 2025, it was revealed that the desert festival's "Orgy Dome," which had been a popular and active free love party scene at the festival since 2003, had collapsed due to sudden and very strong desert winds [61 ("Burning Man's Orgy Dome has been destroyed")]. It was afterwards announced that the sex tents would be restored [62]. Gates also closed on different occasions due to bad weather, with at least one festival attendee being electrocuted [63]. More
Going FURTHUR with Burning Man (doc)
Did anyone ever think to fly a drone over BM at night? Jeffrey V did.

Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Day 3: Burning Man's 'O*gy Dome' down


The Orgy Dome is down?
Nobody goes to the desert to get all voyeuristic, except these people in a long line to get in.
.
What kind of world do we want?
First of all, what is an "Orgy Dome"? That's kind of hard to explain. It's sort of like this dome, a tent, with an orgy inside, and by orgy we mean a consensual communal experience with probably more sand and grit than anyone would ideally want to be present at a time like this. Bring wipes. Maybe Diddly brand coconut oil, too. No, no, no oil, but water-based lube. And be very MINDFUL. There are Ten Principles to follow in general and special safe practices, consenting obligations, and lots of checking in to make sure everyone is all right and enjoying it.
The Orgy Dome is down for 2025 due to winds.
What happed to the Orgy Dome? The wind at the beginning blew it over, scattered, and destroyed it. The site has an Instagram. Orgy Dome šŸŒˆšŸ’œ✨ (@orgydome) • Instagram. But Billboard's Instagram states: Burning Man’s infamous Orgy Dome won’t be opening this year [2025] after hurricane-force winds tore the structure apart over the opening weekend. 🌪️ Organizers say they’re safe but unable to repair the dome in time, though they still plan to host smaller workshops on the playa. The storm also destroyed major installations like Ukraine’s 50-foot Black Cloud, marking yet another year of extreme weather challenges at the Nevada summer desert festival.⁠ ⁠ More details on the Dome and other installations that were damaged by heavy winds are at the link in bio. More TMZ confirms it.

Day 3: Trapped in the mud at Burning Man 2025 – Daily Vlog

(Escaping Normal Life) Aug. 27, 2025: Day 3 at Burning Man 2025 turned into pure muddy survival. A massive rainstorm hit the playa, flooding everything and turning Black Rock City into deep, sticky clay mud. I was trapped inside my tent for hours, unable to move my bike or even walk through the sludge.

In this daily vlog, I share what it was really like being stuck in the rain and mud, how I managed to stay (somewhat) dry, and the chaos happening all around camp.

This is what Burning Man 2025 looks like when the weather shuts everything down. If you’re preparing for Burning Man or curious about the real, unfiltered experience of surviving the playa during a storm, this vlog shows the raw reality of what happens when the desert turns to mud.

Venmo: venmo.com/u/escaping_normal_life. Found this video helpful? Consider donating. I currently do not have a Patreon or a YouTube Member page because they take a percentage. Also, Super Thanks takes a percentage on YouTube. So I do have a Venmo that is 100% donated to me. These donations go straight to my channel to purchase better camera gear to make better content.
What is "gifting" (dana)? It is one of the Ten Principles of Burning Man's ethos for better world

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Trump and the Press: Last Week Tonight


Trump & The Press: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Trump for Emperor, Pope-King, Messiah, Führer
(LastWeekTonight) John Oliver discusses how Pres. Do Jo Trump is attempting to reshape coverage of him in the press, how he’s using his power to threaten American media outlets he doesn’t agree with, why this signals a slide toward authoritarianism for the U.S., and whether or not y'all can also see this twink we’re pretty sure is a ghost. Seriously. We are so scared.


Subscribe to the #lastweektonight YouTube channel for more almost news as it almost happens, or find us on favorite social media platform we may or may not have discussed at length on the show Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky, Facebook, or just visit the official site for all that other stuff at once: hbo.com/lastweektonight
  • John Oliver, Last Week Tonight, May 18, 2025; Pfc. Sandoval, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Monday, May 5, 2025

Moss People: real forest-dwelling fairies

Hi, I'm Kate Moss. I just love green; there's no relation.
Kate MOSS, yes, she sounds familiar and related to us, all waifish, skin all lichen-like (crepey).
.
Don't look at me. I'm not a Moss!
Trees are greening, flowers are blooming, birds are nesting – why? Spring is in the air! Despite the happy days this brings, be wary of what else may be lurking in deep, dark forests. From German folklore, let's explore the world of the moss people.

In German folklore, moss folk resemble dwarves (called kumbhandas in Buddhist cosmology and gnomes in much of Europe), nearly the size of human children. But they are covered in green moss, with skin that looks gray, and a lot of hair like lichen.

The mossy frog of Vietnam shows off its moss camo

I may be small and love green...
Their arms and legs appear as “knotted maple bark.” Centuries ago, humans considered them part of the fairy realm dedicated to trees and the forest in general.
.
For unknown reasons, the moss people population consisted mostly of females. These “fairies” were known to borrow things from humans and, at other times, ask for help from them.

Maiden (Kettle Quill/Deviant Art)
Occasionally, they would ask humans for breast milk to feed their own moss babies. They repaid their benefactors with good advice or bread.

However, one had to be wary of their quick tempers. If one gave them caraway bread, for instance, they would become very angry and cry, “Caraway bread, our death!”

Some tales describe them as behaving like changelings in that they would sometimes steal very small human children. Female moss people, called Mossfraulein (“moss women”)... More: Moss People creeping out of forests

Saturday, December 28, 2024

Year End Yoga Party, Sacred Ritual


WHAT HAPPENED?
Sign up here: Kinship Yoga Studios
We convened, got raffle tickets, placed potluck items on a table, reviewed the silent auction objects on offer, and settled in for the hailing of the Four Directions by Araceli in Native American tradition, with a conch shell trumpet and palo santo incense. Then we journaled a letter to ourselves to be opened in six months, the summer to come, sharing a small part of it with the whole group as we got in touch with a vision of nature and a sacred animal. Very New Age. Then the Sanskrit chanting began, accompanied by bongos, a spaceship like percussive instrument, and harmonium, in call-and-response kirtan. This was followed by the raffle, with a free ticket going to anyone who brought a potluck item. The prizes were in the $50 to $180 range, donated by local merchants supporting Yoga Gives Back and Ambassador Stella. Everyone got two hugs and we met eyes with another person, all designed to get people out of their shells and into the social community. Many females pranced about in skimpy yoga gear, laughing, making new friends. Then we feasted and had mocktails, hot chocolate, fresh persimmon juice, exotic teas from the Tea Bar, as well as soft drinks. This was followed by effusive sharing by anyone who wanted to say something, as we moved to the gift exchange blanket. Participants were encouraged to donate a gift for it, which everyone could see. Then items were chosen, infused with good mojo as the items got handed to the left and arrived at the designated chooser.

Yoga New Year: 108 Sun Salutations (1/1)
(This means everyone ended up with a gift, and some with more than one. The owner, Ryan and his young daughter, Louisa (the youngest teacher the studio has ever produced), were on hand. It was all handshakes, hugs, and even some yoga jokes. (Yoga jokes? A hippie is standing in front of a yoga studio and the owner says, "Man, you gotta leave." The hippie replies, "Nah, Man, 'amastay," you know, which sounds like "Namaste." Dumb as it might sound, it got a great laugh because up until tonight, no one knew there were such things as "yoga jokes." Not to be outdone, Ryan the owner said the place wasn't always going to be called "Kinship." He toyed with the idea of naming "Om Depot." That also got a great laugh). Hugs, kisses, number exchanged, and some people lingered to chat after four straight hours of spiritual fun and frolicking. It was a great time. And we were all reminded that in three short days, it's the 108 Sun Salutations Yoga Challenge in the same room at noon.

9th annual New Year Sacred Ceremony, Yoga Gives Back fundraiser, Potluck w/ Stella, Araceli, Veronica
Date: Saturday, 12/28/24, 6:00 pm-10:00 pm. Welcome to the 9th annual New Year Sacred Ceremony (fundraiser and Veggie Potluck) the final Saturday of the year.
Join us for Kinship’s beloved annual gathering to honor the end of one year and welcome the New Year with community, intention, and celebration.

All proceeds from this fundraiser benefit Yoga Gives Back (YGB), a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering women and children in India.

 
Event Schedule
  • 6:00 pm: Sacred Ceremony
We begin with a sacred ceremony to honor the interconnectedness of all life. This space will be infused with culturally-inspired observances, reverence for ancient wisdom teachings, and intentions for peace and healing in the coming year.

  • 7:45 pm: Fundraiser, Veggie Potluck, Gift-Giving Blanket
After the ceremony, we continue with a fundraiser, delicious veggie potluck, and the beloved Gift- Giving Blanket tradition. This portion of the evening includes opportunities for music, poetry (open mic), and community connection.

Event details

New students, Kingship, Highland Park
Sacred Ceremony creates a sacred space to honor life’s journey and our relationships with all beings. Through culturally respectful rituals and shared intentions, we cultivate a collective vision of peace for the New Year. Our gathering includes a series of meaningful activities to inspire growth, healing, and connection: 
  • Smudging with white sage
Purify and cleanse personal energy through the sacred practice of smudging. Using the smoke of white sage (Salvia apiana), we clear away negative energies and create an open space for healing, renewal, and positive transformation.
  • Journaling activity
We take a moment to reflect on our journey and set powerful intentions for the year ahead. Answer a few curated questions to guide reflection, focusing on what we wish to release and what we want to invite into our life.
  • Sacred chanting
Together, we chant sacred Sanskrit mantras, uniting our voices and hearts in harmony. This collective vibration invokes peace, healing, and strength, setting a powerful intention for the New Year ahead.
  • Gift-Giving Blanket

History (Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz)
Inspired by Native American traditions, the Gift-Giving Blanket invites us to bring a gift to share with the community. After laying a gift down on the blanket, everyone will have the opportunity to choose a gift brought by someone else. (No need to purchase any gifts; we encourage to recycle from our own possessions to lighten our load). Gifts can be new or gently used items. All are welcome — whether or not bringing a gift to share.
yoga-gives-back.networkforgood.com
Yoga Gives Back is a non-profit organization that supports women and children in India, providing educational opportunities and micro-loans to help them build sustainable lives. Stella Han is an ambassador for YGB and will lead this fundraiser. Contribute directly to the cause via Stella’s fundraising portal:
Alternatively, donations can be made via Venmo: @stella_han_yoga. Please include “YGB” in the comment section along with an email and phone number. (All personal contact information is only visible to Stella Han). Cash or checks are accepted as well.
  • Veggie potluck

What is there to eat? Compassionate veggie food
Bringing food is optional, but to contribute, please email Stella (the coordinator and organizer) at stellaheartyoga@gmail.com with details of the dish you plan to bring. All dishes must be vegan or vegetarian. Please also include an ingredient card next to the dish for transparency so diners can avoid allergens like gluten (wheat, barley, rye, oats, buckwheat, all of which contain their own form of this popular toxin that destroys the cilia of the gut lining and results in malabsorption and eventual malnutrition). All contributors to the potluck will receive 3 raffle tickets. Please mention to host about contribution to ensure receiving the raffle tickets.

  • Attire
What about New Year's Eve?
Dress warmly and comfortably. If feeling inspired, festive or spiritual white attire is optional as we gather to celebrate and set intentions for the New Year with a clean slate. We look forward to coming together in community, celebration, and giving.

For more information or questions, please contact Stella Han: