Time to be multi-billionaire (Powerball)

No one won the massive jackpot, so it's going up to $1.7-2.0 billion: Saturday

40 drawings from May 31st without a winner: This is the 5th largest pot ever

Powerball nears record with $1.3 billion jackpot for tonight's drawing

The dumbest lottery winners of all time

• LIVE: $1.4 billion Powerball — What to know before buying a ticket + real winner stories

(ABC7) Powerball nears record with $1.3 billion jackpot for tonight's drawing. Sept.. 3, 2025: The Powerball jackpot for Wednesday night's drawing has soared to an estimated $1.3-$1.4 billion, the fifth-biggest in the lottery's history, after no one claimed the top prize earlier this week, winning a measly million (before taxes). abc7.com/post/powerball...

It looks like this will end up being the 4th biggest

(SunnyV2) Playing the lottery is already incredibly stup*d. However, of all the stup*d lottery winners, there are going to be a few who are extra d*mb, including people who won the jackpot then lost everything.

From accidentally throwing a 3-million-pound (dollar) lottery ticket in the bin (trash), to spending a $16.2 million dollar prize in under 90 days, these are the absolute dumbest and stup*dest lottery winners of all time.

(NBC Connecticut) One in 292,000,000 is the chance of winning

What's karma got to do with it?

Dhr. Seven and Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly 2025

For one who knows and sees

The biggest mistake I hear when listening to people talk about karma -- other than mistaking the results (fruit) for the actions, the reaping (harvest) for the sowing -- is the implicit assumption that it's what one did in this life.

When we look at someone and judge her or him, that is a judgment. It is not a reality. The unseen reality is that that person is so much more than can be seen. People are the results of their previous actions, what they did long ago and what they are doing now at this moment, both. It may be possible to do something now and seem to get the opposite result.

However, when we examine ourselves under successful meditation (profound calm and the pursuit of insight or samatha-vipassana), we can see that most of the welcome and unwelcome results manifesting now were planted long ago.

How to win? Liquify LUCK (Dr. Gallenberger)

All we do, say, think follows us with fruit.

It is relatively rare for a recent action to bear sudden results. There is usually a period of maturation, bearing fruit, ripening. So it is wise to persist in the good (skillful, wholesome, harmless) as it will surely bear fruit at some point.

Likewise, it is foolish to persist in the bad (unskillful, unwholesome, harmful) because it does not seem to have yet borne any unwelcome results. What is "good," what is "bad"? That is very easy to answer, though it may be unbelievable, in karmic terms. The real "karma," according to the Buddha is the cetana (motivation, intention, impulse) behind an act, not the act itself. With this in mind, there are six major causes or roots of ALL actions (karma):

1. greed (craving, clinging, lust, selfishness)
2. hatred (aversion, fear, anger, annoyance)
3. delusion (wrong view, ignorance, confusion)
4. nongreed (letting go, giving, generosity, selflessness)
5. nonhatred (loving kindness, compassion, forbearance)
6. nondelusion (insight, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, right view).

Karma: It's everywhere you're going to be.

For any act (deed, impulsive acting out, conduct), we can reflect and seek out our own underlying motive.  In this way we can know the intention (motive) behind our karma (act). It will be rooted in one of these six. The first three invariably lead to eventual harm, both immediate in terms of disturbing our mind/heart and conscience if we still have one to save us and eventual in terms of bearing fruit long after the seed was sown (planted). This is a universal law (niyama) and not the Buddha's doing. He made it known to help all living beings be happy here and now and be liberated at some time in the future.

But isn't it wrong to WANT to be a millionaire or billionaire or trillionaire? - No. Wanting is normal. Any wanting may lead to that much disappointment, and certainly if greed (tanha become lobha, thirst become avaraice) gets a hold of us, that is very likely to lead to some very unskillful karma (deeds).

Living in an Abrahamic society that calls itself Judeo-Christian, we are taught to believe that, "Money is the root of all evil." While this is not incorrect as such, it is incomplete. It's not what the Bible says. Look it up. The popular KJV says that it is the LOVE of money that is the root of all evil, and that seems closer to what we find. "Desire" is not bad, as many Westerners misunderstand Buddhism to be saying. Craving is, which is to say, greed motivates many unskillful deeds, and these will have very painful results for a long time. We can see in ourselves, with no external authority telling us what's what, that the moment craving arises, unsatisfactoriness co-arises. With these springs hopes, plans, schemes, expectations...we're just setting ourselves up for a bigger and bigger fall. But say I want something -- more food, more comfort, more Avenged Sevenfold songs, more sex, more more more whatever -- and I'm willing to strive for it and worry about it and waste my time for it. Okay. So long as it's done in a lawful (codified consensus reality of the rules of our society) and harmless (ahimsa) way, that's fine. That's good. Go for it. But be aware, at least, that it will not satisfy greed. It will not (cannot) fulfill us. And in the meantime, we have not been cultivating the skillful that would lead to welcome results now and in the future. Compassion and wisdom pay great dividends, as does mindfulness.

Thanks for watching. Like and sub if enjoyed, SunnyV2 XO ❤ The idea for this video was inspired by "TheRichest," who posted a video on a similar topic in March 2015 entitled "10 Stupid Lottery Winners." Watch that version on YouTube.com.

• Schultz LIVE; ABC News 7, Los Angeles, Sept. 3, 2025; SunnyV2, Nov. 17, 2022; Seth Auberon, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

The KROQ Pool Party, Morongo (7/31)

Win tickets to Almost Monday at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa

We don't need no sticking spa and resort. We'll just swim and party at home. Oh, noooo!

.

The poor enrich us so much, we built this.

Who would go from LA or the OC all the way to the Inland Empire near the site of the Coachella Festival just to lounge around a pool of a massive Indian casino? KROQ 106.7 FM fans, that's who and chronic gamblers trying to make reparations to the Native Americans of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians while angling to win back those reparations and then some by "games" of chance that are designed to favor the house and scrrw the "players" into "gaming." F around and find out. Gambling is a dopamine illness with severe financial consequences. Stay away from alcohol while courting Lady Luck (the Goddess Fortuna). And don't dream of going down there with Liquid Luck. That's our PSA for the day.

• KROQ on Instagram
• Xochitl, Seth Auberon, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

How to manifest a lot more LUCK

Liquid Luck: The Good Fortune Handbook

Audible Logo Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Author Dr. Joe Gallenberger, PhD, as narrated by Doug Greene, has 4.5 out of 5 stars with 404 ratings for this handbook.

Manifestation expert Dr. Gallenberger has distilled decades of wisdom about creating dreams into a quick and effective meditation called "Liquid Luck."

Doctor, I want to meet lucky men to reward them.
Hun, men don't need gold diggers just supporters.

He wanted to give people a simple and fun way to access heart-based manifestation and see immediate results in the form of days filled with synchronicity, serendipity, and good fortune.

With Liquid Luck's secrets released on CD, delightful tales came flooding in describing instant success. People reported receiving

• money from unexpected sources,
• winning lotto and raffle tickets,
• selling houses in an hour,
• having businesses take off,
• solving intractable problems easily,
• receiving brilliant ideas for inventions,
• and many more wonderful stories of manifestation.

May money fall from the sky this year.

Liquid Luck: The Good Fortune Handbook shares these inspiring stories, interwoven with exploration of the vital components for powerful abundance creation, in the explorer's own words, Dr. Gallenberger delves into the heart of how these principles work.

He covers why happiness, gratitude, compassion, praise, love, and feeling abundant are essential and how these qualities can be increased in practical ways.

Dr. Gallenberger reveals how to transcend the limiting beliefs and emotions that usually keep us confined to old patterns.

Monroe Institute Hemi-Sync binaural beats are the secret to overcoming limitations for enhanced flow with a great visualization: "The Abundance Waterfall" for deep appreciation and relaxation.

His knowledge and the stories tell us that we can indeed be miracle workers in our own lives.

Liquid Luck is an essential handbook that will be consulted repeatedly, offering a clear path toward our dreams lit with humor and heart.

• Joe Gallenberger, ©2014 Rainbow Ridge Books (P)2020 Beacon Audiobooks (amazon.com); YouAreCreators2; CC Liu, Dhr. Seven, Sheldon S. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

The Tao of Intuitive Luck

“Filled with sage advice backed by sound scientific evidence, The Tao of Intuitive Luck is a carefully crafted prescription for cultivating genuine luck anytime. Highly recommended as a practical guide to putting your intuition to work.”

–Chief Scientist Dr. Dean Radin, Ph.D., Institute of Noetic Sciences and author of Real Magic and The Conscious Universe.

Randall Fitzgerald (like Dr. Gallenberger and Dr. Radin) studies "luck." We think it's "chance" and random, but these three researchers demonstrate that it is completely something else going unnoticed: attitude, outlook, expectation, gratitude, positivity, our internal states manifesting externally.

• Coasttocoastam.com, Oct. 17, 2024

Fitzgerald is the author of The Tao of Intuitive Luck. For two free audio downloads on luck techniques, click here. The Tao of Intuitive Luck

Every day we pull the lever of chance on our finances, our safety, our health and relationships. Why are some people more skilled at managing these risks? What makes them so lucky? 

Randall Fitzgerald’s investigative articles have been featured in The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, and Reader's Digest, where he spent two decades as a roving editor. In addition to having authored 10 books translated into a dozen languages, he founded and co-edited Second Look, a seminal magazine chronicling the search for other intelligent life in the universe, the origins of civilization, and the nature of consciousness. He has appeared on ABC’s The View and hundreds of other TV and radio shows, including four appearances on Coast-to-Coast with G-Man Noory. thetaoofintuitiveluck.com

The Tao of Intuitive Luck: Winning at Games of Chance & the Game of Life

(Kindle Edition) Author Randall Fitzgerald has 5.0 out of 5 stars with 13 ratings of this book.

Every day we pull the lever of chance on our finances, our safety, our health, and relationships. Why are some people more skilled at managing these risks? What makes them so lucky?

The secret of lucky people comes from their mastery of Intuitive Luck. “The only time I’ve made mistakes is when I didn’t listen to my intuition,” admitted billionaire Oprah Winfrey.

“If you can have any superpower, luck is the one you’d want,” observed billionaire Elon Musk. By combining these two powerful forces — intuition and luck — you create a pathway (the Tao) to good fortune.

Whether one plays casino games of chance, bets on sports or the lottery, invests in stocks, or just plays the game of life, intuitive luck is a prescription that can be mastered to navigate life’s risks and attract financial rewards.

By using The Tao of Intuitive Luck formula for luck enhancement, Lady Luck will become a more frequent and dependable partner.

Five Intuitive Luck factors reveal a practical, teachable, science-based synergy for attracting streaks of luck.

Investigative journalist Randall Fitzgerald spent several decades documenting intuitive luck techniques practiced by genuinely lucky people and interviewing scientists at the forefront of intuition research.

His expertise earned him the role as the media master of ceremonies for the televised 100th anniversary celebration of the founding of Las Vegas. More: Tao of Intuitive Luck: Winning Chance eBook

• Coast to Coast, 10/17/24; Pat Macpherson, Seth Auberon, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Baseball: Ohtani sets record then beats it

Dare to try. Dear Mr. Ohtani, if you need a co-wife, I am available by mail order on Temu.

.

I love my Japanese fans! - Taylor Swift

Japanese baseball player, legend, and $700,000,000.00-LA Dodger Shohei Ohtani, 30, becomes the first major league 50/50 player with 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are playing out of town in Miami today, he's injured but still playing, and he chooses today to hit a homerun ball into the stands -- a ball that would become a coveted souvenir worth an estimated $3 million for anyone selling it -- when a woman attending the game catches it! And the crowd goes wild. Then she dropped it.

• Tens of millions of Japanese were watching the game live in Japan, particularly in Tokyo, but in Florida the stadium was only half full. The Dodgers play tomorrow in Los Angeles, and ticket sales are skyrocketing as some businessmen in Japan catch flights across the Pacific to see it. And Asian Angeleno go crazy get online and snap up all available tickets. For anyone holding an Ohtani and Decoy the Dog bobblehead, it time to get on eBay and make a small fortune.
• Buddhist sports? Does it strike anyone as odd that the world's greatest golfer was Asian and Black, not a privileged white man in an almost all-white sport? How did Theravada Thai Buddhism help Tiger Woods? Then the LA Lakers basketball team keeps winning even as the Black players keep changing until someone notices it's the white coach and his Zen Buddhist practice. Good on Coach "Zen Master" Phil Jackson. If dancing-while-singing were a sport, all the J-Pop and K-Pop stealing the spotlight from our artificially-created and synthetic boy bands and all-girl bands shows that Asian agents, producers, and promoters do it better. Or say car building were a sport, could the US even dream of holding a candle to Japan? Now Japanese Buddhist Ohtani takes American baseball to new heights previously undreamt of, why, how, huh? 🎵"Anything we can do, Japan can do better, because Japan is just better whatever we do."🎵

For all its good, Japan still kills whales, dolphins

Whoops, she drops it and watches it fall into the dugout to profit no one. Maybe now it will go to a museum or a glass case in the ballpark so attendees can gawk and it and wonder how that ball, identical to all the others in play, got itself hit by the GOAT ("greatest of all time") and almost into the hands of fan.

Not satisfied with his accomplishment, Ohtani (Number 17) soon hit another homer after having stolen a base earlier. He has done more in one game than most do in a season. He has risen to be the best living player, possibly not human, and destined to be the apex of ability. More

Impossible feat

I want to marry a player, no, a rich baller.

MIAMI, Florida (AP) — Shohei Ohtani [the 700-million-dollar man] became the first major league player to exceed 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season during the most spectacular game of a history-making career for the Los Angeles Dodgers star, going deep three times and swiping two bats today (Thursday) against the Miami Marlins. [IS OHTANI HUMAN? NO.] Ohtani hit his 49th homer in the sixth inning, his 50th in the seventh, and his 51st in the ninth. He finished 6 for 6 with 10 RBIs (runs batted in), while becoming the first major league player to hit three homers and steal two bases in a single game. More

Scam: Trouble at Powerball lottery: delay

Powerball lottery's $1.3 billion jackpot drawing delayed (AP via MSN.com)

UPDATE: $2 billion Powerball lottery fraud: SCAM!

.

The eighth-largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history — $1.3 billion — is at stake in Saturday evening’s multi-state Powerball drawing.

• UPDATE: Who won the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot in Oregon? We might or might not know anytime soon. Here's why

However, the drawing has been delayed. [Hmm, just like the time the lotto scammed us in Altadena, California, where one many bought a ticket and another man became a billionaire being sued by the first man and there was a very mysterious delay lied about by officials.]

The Multi-State Lottery Association, which conducts the game, issued the following statement:

“The Powerball drawing scheduled for 10:59 pm ET on Saturday, April 6 has been delayed.

“Tonight, we have one participating lottery [Is it California, home of the most winners, by any chance?] that needs additional time to complete required pre-draw procedures, which have been enacted to protect the security and integrity of the Powerball game.

• UPDATE: $2b Powerball lottery fraud: SCAM!
• $1.3 billion Powerball drawing delayed (NBC/MSN)

Gambling? The fix is in.

“Powerball game rules require that every single ticket sold nationwide be checked and verified against two different computer systems before the winning numbers are drawn. This is done to ensure that every ticket sold for the Powerball drawing has been accounted for and has an equal chance to win. Tonight, we have one jurisdiction that needs extra time to complete that pre-draw process.

“Please hold on to your tickets for Saturday’s Powerball drawing. When the required pre-draw procedures are complete, the Powerball drawing will be performed under the supervision of lottery security officials and independent auditors.

“The drawing will be live streamed on Powerball.com, and the winning numbers and recorded video of the drawing will be posted to the Powerball website and YouTube channel.”

• Related video: Powerball draw for $1.3 billion jackpot delayed (KTLA-TV Los Angeles)
• Also tonight you want to hold on to those tickets

Powerball draw for $1.3 billion jackpot delayed

There have been 40 drawings since January 1, 2024, the last time a ticket with all six numbers was [chosen by someone and] sold, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association.

Saturday’s drawing was initially scheduled to take place at 7:59 pm. Tickets sold after 7:05 pm were ineligible for the night’s draw, but are eligible for the following drawing.

In its announcement Friday that the estimated jackpot had grown to $1.3 billion from the previous estimate of $1.23 billion because of strong ticket sales across the nation coupled with a boost in interest rates used to fund the annuitized prize, the Multi-State Lottery Association also sought to debunk what it called top misconceptions about whether players can gain an edge to winning the Powerball jackpot.

One misconception is that Powerball jackpot-winning tickets are only sold in big cities and states. Powerball was designed to be a random game with every ticket having the same possibility of matching the winning numbers drawn, the association said.

The number of winning tickets in a location directly correlates to the volume of ticket sales. Typically, there are more winning tickets in cities because they have higher ticket sales compared to rural areas, and therefore, more winners based upon sales volume.

The odds of matching all five numbers and the Powerball number are 1 in 292.2 million, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association. The overall chance of winning a prize is 1 in 24.9.

The jackpot for Saturday’s drawing is the fourth largest in the history of the Powerball game, which began in 1992. There have been four larger jackpots for the Mega Millions game, which began in 1996 as The Big Game and was given the new name Mega Millions in 2002.

The Powerball game is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More + VIDEO

• MyNewsLA via MSN.com, 4/6/24; Pfc. Sandoval, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Happy New Year of the Rabbit (video)

Kimmy Yam (NBC News); KREM 2 News, Jan. 20, 2023; CC Liu, Crystal Q., Wisdom Quarterly

Lunar New Year 2023: Rabbit | What to Know

(KREM 2 News) Jan. 20, 2023. Happy Lunar New Year! People from East and Southeast Asian cultures across the world [not just the Chinese] are ringing in a new year of prosperity, hope, and calm.

It's the Year of the [Black] Water Rabbit

It’s the Year of the Rabbit and we should all be focusing on rest, introspection, and working smarter not harder [to be like good little bunnies in a cubby hole].

The Lunar New Year, celebrated primarily by Chinese diasporas [ex-pat communities] and other East Asian cultures as well as the Vietnamese, will begin on Sunday, kicking off 15 days of festivities and customs.

While the preceding Year of the Tiger was seen as a powerful period of action and, at times, impulse, the rabbit sign is expected to usher in a softer period focused on self-reflection, Jonathan H. X. Lee, an Asian and Asian American studies professor at San Francisco State University, told NBC News.

“There is a lot of possibility for prosperity and flourishing, and for peace, really,” said Lee, whose research focuses on religions and folklore.

“The rabbit is a very strong symbol for peace.” Lee added that to make the most of the year, people should also behave in accordance with this tranquil energy.

“There needs to be a moment of introspection and thoughtfulness in being, in action, and for the intention of long-term success,” said Lee.

“You’re going to be much more conservative and reflective in your decision-making.” Additionally, the years are further classified as one of two sides of the yin yang symbol.

This year is considered yin and, compared to its light and more active counterpart, emphasizes the importance of rest, Lee said. The rabbit is a symbol of intellect and cautiousness.

As the lore goes, the rabbit was among the 12 animals [all real and one mythical] who raced to the Jade Emperor in a cosmic contest that ultimately determined the order of the Chinese zodiac signs.

Though it was a weak swimmer, the rabbit used its brain, opting to cross the river portion of the course on a raft. Like the animal, Lee said, it’s important to approach everything in a smart, deliberate way.

“If you look at the economy and real estate, last year was a year dictated by FOMO [fear of missing out]. ‘I have to go get mortgage rates for all-time low, I have to go buy something,’” Lee said.

Feng shui expert in the Philippines explains the Year of the Water Rabbit

“This year, it’s not going to be the same. You’re not just going to jump in and get any kind of loan and offer anything on a house....If you did just jump in because of FOMO, you’re going to have a whole slew of issues.”

The rabbit in the Chinese zodiac also speaks to the power of empathy. At one point in the race, the rabbit found itself stuck in the water.

The [mythical reptilian] dragon, who was flying overhead, opted to finish behind its woodland friend, blowing a heavy gust of wind to help send the rabbit across the finish line. The act speaks to the importance of both giving and receiving compassion, Lee said.

Other Chinese and Buddhist mythology confirm the rabbit’s role in fostering empathy, Lee explained.

In one Buddhist story, an old man and child were lost in the wilderness, hungry and cold. The Buddha, who took the form of a rabbit, started a fire and hopped into the flames, thus sacrificing itself to nourish the two, Lee said. More

Lunar New Year 2023: What's in store for Year of the Rabbit?

(ABC7 News Bay Area) Jan. 20, 2023. #abc7news #rabbit #lunarnewyear The Chinese Zodiac animal for this Lunar New Year is the rabbit. Here's what that means and some surprising facts about this Lunar New Year. abc7ne.ws/3QTRFNg #lunarnewyear #zodiac #rabbit #abc7news

Naval Ravikant: We can ALL be rich (Joe Rogan)

Everyone can be rich | Joe Rogan and Naval Ravikant

(JRE Clips) June 4, 2019. Taken from JRE #1309 with Naval Ravikant: • Joe Rogan Experience (#1309)...

Who in the world is Naval Ravikant? Almanack of Naval Ravikant (navalmanack.com)

• The Angel Philosopher on the thoughts of Naval Ravikant

DAY 4: 9 Nights of the Goddess (Navaratri)

• Live celebration: Nine Nights of the Goddess (Navaratri)

SPECIAL: Know this one thing on Navaratri 2022

Mother Goddess Ma Durga

(Sadhguru On) Sept. 26, 2022. Sadhguru talks about why the Autumn Navaratri Festival is celebrated and why it is feminine. What is the one thing we must know on Navaratri.

Copyright disclaimer: We own a commercial license for all the content used in this video. Connect: fb.com/SadhguruSpiritualGuru, instagram.com/sadhguru.on, twitter.com/SadhguruOn. FAIR-USE COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, commenting, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. 1) This video has no negative impact on the original works. (It would actually be positive for them). 2) This video is also for teaching purposes. 3) It is not transformative in nature. 4) I only used bits and pieces of videos to get the point across where necessary. We take clips from various sources to help create an atmospheric feeling that will help and inspire people in their life. These clips and extracts are of a minimal nature and the use is not intended to interfere in any manner with their commercial exploitation of the complete work by the owners of the copyright. They have, in accordance with fair use, been repurposed with the intent of educating and inspiring others. However, if any content owners would like their images removed, please contact us. Team Sadhguru

Mother Goddess: Ma Durga Festival (10/5)

Bhadra Balaram das (Mayapur Voice); Ananda, Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Ma Durga: The Mightiest Mother

There have been attempts to present Mother Durga as a mere symbol of victory of good over evil. The reality, however, is different.

The excellent beauty possessed by her and the formidable weapons held in her mighty arms are a transcendental reality.

If we ever think that strength is only a male’s domain, meet Mother Durga!

She is not only a fearsome fighter celebrated across the three worlds as Mahishasura-mardini for her heroic feat of vanquishing the otherwise invincible demon King Mahishasura, Durga Devi is famed for her exceedingly exquisite beauty that perpetually remains an unsurpassable marvel of Brahma God’s perceivable realm.

With these apparently contradictory and unique characteristics, it is no fault of mortal beings to quickly assume that Durga Devi must be an imagined product of a novelist, storyteller, or poet.

The merciful glance of the divine Ma Durga Devi, a celestial goddess

The modern trend, particularly among scholars and leaders, is to call ancient events "myths" because they are not comprehensible by ordinary human minds. Such a conclusion is a clear sign of a poor fund of knowledge regarding the very purpose of cosmic creation.

There have been even attempts to present Ma Durga as a mere symbol of victory of good over evil. Being the personification of the aggregate feminine principle of material nature, her appearance is inconceivably gorgeous and her activities are enthralling.

The mighty weapons in her hands are presented to her by real celestial beings like King Indra (Sakka, King of the Devas), Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva, and Lord Vishnu himself. The ferocious lion she rides on is not symbolic either.

Ma Durga with her celestial weapons

For example, the trishul or trident she holds is a factual weapon she uses to punish big-time miscreants although she does not always use it as she can execute her missions simply through agencies like epidemics, wars, earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, droughts, and so on.

Scientists today are able to make remote sensors and perform wonderful tasks from great distances. They have also invented chemical weapons that can make the atmosphere poisonous and kill thousands. If we tiny-brained humans can do this, why wouldn’t higher celestial beings (like devas) be able to remotely dispatch various atmospheric changes and diseases in targeted locations where misdeeds are on rise?

These examples shed light on the possibility of operating natural resources to control this world remotely by various demigods (devas) from greater distance. Phenomena generally considered mythical by less intelligent people are real.

Brahma-samhita explains Mother Durga’s transcendental position in Sanskrit: Sristi-sthiti pralaya-sadhana-shaktir eka chhayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga icchanurupam api yasya cha chestate sa govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami

TRANSLATION: The eternal potency Maya [personification of illusion], who is of the nature of the shadow of the mind [chit, citta] potency, is worshiped by all people as Durga, the [threefold] creative, preservative, and destructive agency of this mundane world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in accordance with whose will Durga conducts herself (Brahma-samhita 5.4).

In an earlier article, Ma Durga -- busting the biggest myth of all times -- was discussed at length and her divine position from a scriptural point of view. In this article the focus is on her personal features, extraordinary prowess, and transcendental characteristics.

The historical event describing how Ma Durga annihilated Mahish-asura is unique in nature, considering it’s a one-on-one fight between the most powerful male demon of his time, the fearsome son of the demon Rambh and Durga Devi, a stunningly graceful divine female possessing extraordinary powers.

Mahish-asura became extremely powerful after receiving a boon from Lord Brahma that no male would ever be able to kill him. More

• Autumn Festival of the Divine Mother (Ma Durga Puja), Wed, Oct 5, 2022, 5:00 PM | Meetup
• Upcoming Events at Ananda Ashrama, Glendale/La Crescenta, Southern California

Science and Sivali: The Secrets to LUCK

Teresa Iafolla (Nautilus.us, 3/26/18) via GetPocket.com; Ajahn Lee (trans. by Ven. Thanissaro, accesstoinsight.org); Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ellie A. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Meet Fortuna, Goddess (Devi) of Luck, Abundance, and Fate (icydegwick.com)

Venerable Sivali is the Buddhist epitome of luck and good fortune (thailandamulet.net)

.

Luck can seem synonymous with randomness. To call someone lucky is usually to deny the relevance of their own effort, intelligence, hard work, or talent.

As Professor of Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK Richard Wiseman puts it:

Lucky people “appear to have an uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time and enjoy more than their fair share of lucky breaks.”

What do these people have that the rest of us don’t? It turns out “ability” is the key word here.

Beyond their level of privilege or the circumstances they were born into, the luckiest people may have a specific set of skills that bring chance opportunities their way. Somehow, they’ve learned ways to turn life’s odds in their favor.

“His research is hilarious.”

Demystifying this luck skillset has been a personal project of Christine Carter, a sociologist and senior fellow at the Greater Good Science Center, at the University of California at Berkeley. A few years ago, she was putting together an online course for families on raising happier kids.
 
She translates research findings on qualities such as gratitude, mindfulness, and happiness into quantifiable, teachable skills.

Amidst her work, she stumbled upon a funny little concept that seemed to be entangled with all these things -- luck. More

Sivali's super karmic good luck
Wisdom Quarterly Wikipedia edit

Buddhist Sivali gave himself luck by his profitable karma and gained enlightenment.

  

Ven. Sivali gold amulets (WQ)

Ven. Sīvali (Thai พระสีวลี, Chinese 尸婆羅) is an enlightened (arhat) Buddhist monk widely venerated among Theravada Buddhists.

He is the Buddhist "patron saint" of travel, for he -- by his great karma -- is believed to ward off misfortune at home, such as fire and theft. His veneration predates the introduction of Theravada Buddhism into Burma.
 
Ven. Sīvali, whose statue is often mistaken for that of the Buddha, is typically depicted standing upright and carrying a walking staff, an alms bowl, and Buddhist mala beads.

Thai good luck Ven. Sivali talismans

Born to Queen Suppavasa, young Sīvali is said to have remained in his mother's womb for seven years because of past karma.
 
After a week in labor, his mother gave birth to a precocious boy who could immediately speak.

Thereafter, the historical Buddha's chief male disciple foremost in wisdom, Ven. Sariputra, ordained Sīvali into the Sangha.

Burmese Buddhists believe that Sīvali is still living and that he can be invoked to come by a special incantation. His mere invisible presence brings prosperity and good fortune.

Sivali Paritta: special incantation (chant) to call forth protection

Karma: sharing is merit

Attractive gold Sivali talisman

Eating modestly: This type of eating is very good, both in terms of worldly success and of the Dharma [spiritually beneficial, profitable in the gaining of enlightenment and liberation]. Take Ven. Sivali as an example.

He ate modestly. How? All that most of us know about Ven. Sivali is that he was extremely wealthy in terms of the donations (dana) he constantly received. But where did that wealth come from? It comes from eating modestly.

Eating modestly is the source that gives rise to wealth. What Ven. Sivali did was this: whenever he received cloth, he would not wear what he had received until he had given some of it as a gift to someone else.

When he received food in his alms bowl, he would not eat until he had given some of it as a gift to someone else.

No matter which of the Four Requisites [permissible for Buddhist wandering ascetics and intensive meditation practitioners] he received --

1. food
2. clothing
3. shelter
4. medicine

no matter how much or how little -- once it was in his possession, he would not use it until he had shared some of it with those around him.

When he received a lot, he would make a large gift to benefit many people. When he received just a little, he'd still try to benefit others. This gave rise to all sorts of good things. [It is one of Buddhism's Four Bases of Popularity].

Thanks! I feel lucky now, and it shows!

His friends loved him, his community loved him, and they were kind to him. This is why being generous [and unbiased in our generosity rather than preferential to some] is said to tie the knot of friendship and to wipe out our enemies.

So that's what Ven. Sivali did. When he passed away from his previous lifetime and was reborn in his final lifetime (final because it is when he finally achieved awakening and complete liberation from all rebirth and all suffering), he gained all kinds of wealth and never had to go hungry.

Even when he went to travel or live in places where food should have been scarce, he always enjoyed plentiful abundance and never suffered scarcity, never had to do without... More