(Buddha's Wisdom) Inception's hidden Buddhism: The real prison was never the "dream" (maya).
Inceptionis an American science fiction action film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who also produced it with his wife Emma Thomas.
The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a professional thief who steals information by infiltrating the subconscious of targets.
To whom are we still hopelessly attached?
He is offered a chance to have his criminal history erased as payment for the implantation of another person's idea into a target's subconscious.
The ensemble cast includes Ellen Page [now living as Elliot Page], Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Dileep Rao, and Michael Caine. More
Buddhism in The Matrix goes deeper than most of us think (other than Wachowski Brothers). The Wachowskis built this film on Buddhist philosophy—but Neo (Keanu Reeves, who played the Buddha in Little Buddha) goes on a journey that reveals something most viewers miss: Taking the red pill isn'tenlightenment, it's just the beginning. This video explores what The Matrix gets RIGHT about Buddhism, what Neo gets WRONG about awakening, and why the ending is actually the most Buddhist part of the entire trilogy. More (See The Matrix Trilogy)
HOW do we get out of this prison?
We are trapped in a prison of our own making. Realizing it does NOT free us. Letting go does. But how can we let go? We can't. It isn't an act of willpower. It's by seeing things as they are. Okay, okay, that makes sense! How are they? This is not a belief-system to believe. We must go in and see kalapas and cittas, particles and mind-moments, which means we must first cultivate samadhi (stillness, absorption) to purify and intensify the instrument of seeing (the mind). Then when we really know-and-see what is there, letting go happens by itself free of effort. The mind/heart lets go when it sees all things are marked by Three Universal Characteristics.
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction
Man, this is cool, this is the life 😭
From homeless drug addicts to high-functioning workaholics, the continuum of addiction cuts a wide and painful swath through our Western culture.
Blending first-person accounts, riveting case studies, cutting-edge research and passionate argument, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts takes a panoramic yet highly intimate look at this widespread and perplexing human ailment.
Countering prevailing theories of addiction as being a genetic disease or an individual moral failure, addiction specialist Dr. Gabor Maté, M.D., presents an eloquent case that addiction – all addiction – is in fact a case of human development gone askew.
No substance (not heroin, meth, crack) is addictive. If it were, everyone who took it would become addicted. They do not. We become addicted because we are predisposed by a history of early child trauma. Combined with substances or behaviors, drug use leads to addiction.
Dr. Maté, who for 12 years practiced medicine in Vancouver, Canada’s notorious Downtown Eastside – North America’s most concentrated area of drug use, begins by telling the stories of his patients who, in their destitution and uniformly tragic histories, represent one extreme of the addictive spectrum.
With trademark compassion and unflinching narrative eye, Dr. Maté brings to life their ill-fated and mostly misunderstood struggle for relief or escape -- through substance abuse -- from the pain that has tormented them since childhood.
Dr. Maté shows how the behavioral addictions of society’s more fortunate members – including himself – differ only in degree of severity from the drug habits of his Downtown Eastside patients.
In reality there is only one addiction process, its core objective being the self-soothing of deep-seated fears and discomforts.
Turning to the neurobiological roots of addiction, Dr. Maté presents an astonishing array of scientific evidence showing conclusively that:
Addictive tendencies arise in the parts of our brains governing some of our most basic and life-sustaining needs and functions: incentive and motivation, physical and emotional pain relief, the regulation of stress, and the capacity to feel and receive love;
These brain circuits develop, or don’t develop, largely under the influence of the nurturing environment in early life, and that therefore addiction represents a failure of these crucial systems to mature in the way nature intended; and
The human brain continues to develop new circuitry throughout the lifespan, including well into adulthood, giving new hope for people mired in addictive patterns. Dr. Maté then examines the current mainstream. More
(ReligionForBreakfast) Writer: Dr. R. Andrew Chesnut.
Editor: Mark Henry. Executive producers: Daniel Cuevas, Jay Gotschalk, Producer: Lyndsay Ballew. Further reading:
R. Andrew Chesnut, Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint, 2011. RFB Patreon community: religionforbreakfast.
In Buddhism, HOW can we transfer our merit (good karma) to benefit the grateful dead, the dearly departed, those who have gone beyond so that it gets to them today?
(Lady of the Library): Cinzia DuBois is a part-time, self-funded doctoral (Ph.D.) student and writer, YouTuber, and podcaster. She has been creating videos for over 15 years. On this channel she talks about dark and ancient history, literature, and folklore. On a second channel, she discusses productivity, personal development, her doctoral thesis, academia, and mental well-being.
Mictēcacihuātl ("Lady of the Dead"), in Aztec mythology, is a [goddess] death deity and the consort of Mictlāntēcutli, the god of the dead [like Buddhism's Judge Yama in the underworld also known as Yama in Hinduism] and ruler of Mictlān, the lowest level of the underworld [1].
Her role is to watch over the bones of the dead and preside over the ancient festivals of the dead. These festivals evolved from Aztec traditions into the modern Day of the Dead after synthesis with invading Spanish traditions. She now presides over the contemporary festival as well. In this respect, the pseudo-Catholic cult of Santa Muerte owes much to her. More
The third edition of Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saintoffers a fascinating portrayal of Santa Muerte[female Saint Death], a skeleton saint whose cult has become the fastest growing new religious movement worldwide over the past two decades.
Although condemned by mainstream churches, this folk saint's supernatural powers appeal to millions in Latin America, the USA, and beyond. Devotees believe the Bony Lady (as she is affectionately called) to be the fastest and most effective miracle worker, and as such, her statuettes and paraphernalia now outsell those of the Virgin of Guadalupe and Saint Jude, two other giants of Mexican religiosity.
In particular, Santa Muerte has become the patron saint of drug traffickers, playing an important role as protector of peddlers of fentanyl and marijuana; DEA agents and Mexican police often find her altars in the safe houses of drug smugglers.
Yet, Saint Death plays other important roles: she is a supernatural healer, love doctor, money-maker, lawyer, and angel of death. She has become without doubt one of the most popular and powerful saints of both the Latin American and American religious landscapes. More
Samhain (SOW-in) or Sauin is a Gaelic festival in Ireland that falls on the Mexican Day of the Dead, Nov. 1st, marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or the "darker half" of the year [1].
It is also the Irish and Scottish Gaelic name for November. Celebrations begin on Halloween, the evening of October 31st, since the Celtic day began and ended at sunset [1].
This is about halfway between the autumnal equinox and winter solstice. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals along with Imbolc, Bealtaine, and Lughnasa.
Historically it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. Its Brittonic Celtic equivalent is Calan Gaeaf in Wales. More
The Citizens of Halloween: "This is Halloween" (from Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas")
(DisneyMusicVEVO) Oct. 14, 2021: Stream “Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” on Disney+, the only place to stream favorites from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more [because there's absolutely nowhere else to stream. All hail the Disney Corporation!]
(BbaGumpSkrimp) The Making of The Nightmare Before Christmas
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!
It was a time of innocent childishness and evil.
Remember waiting all October for Linus to see the Great Pumpkin? This Halloween classic wasn’t just wholesome—it changed American (and Canadian) TV forever. From hidden gags to production secrets and the real reason it almost got banned, here are 10 wild facts about It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! most people didn’t know. Relive the magic of a simpler time. More
As fans of The Simpsons, the Forbidden Zone, The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, experimental new wave and punk, Oingo Boingo, Tim Burton animation, and Danny Elfman, how could we miss "The Nightmare Before Christmas"? It's in town tonight with full orchestra for a good sing-along. This is what it looked like last year: Danny Elfman - Hollywood Bowl - Los Angeles - 11-2-2024
Forbidden Zone: Director's Cut (Rated R) Sexy Frenchy falls into an insane underworld ruled by a horny little king and his jealous queen in another dimension. Only Danny Elfman's brother really knows.
It's a world of shapeshifters
Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas in concert featuring Danny Elfman singing as Jack, Janelle Monae singing as Sally, Keith David singing as Oogie Boogie, Riki Lindhome singing as Shock, and John Stamos singing as Lock with incredible eye-popping projections that bring Halloween Town to life.
The holiday classic celebrates 10 years since its first show at the iconic venue! Conductor John Mauceri, founding director of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, will once again be leading the full orchestra and choir performing the film’s full score as the special guests perform the film's acclaimed songs live, plus an unforgettable virtuosic interlude with violinist Sandy Cameron.
Get to the Bowl early to enjoy the Hollywood Bowl/Halloween Town transformation with special pre-show activities including a costume contest (Tim Burton-inspired costumes are encouraged!), unique photo opportunities, and trick-or-treating stations. Programs, artists, dates, prices, and availability subject to change. Ticket limits may apply. All sales are final. Saturday and Sunday night, Oct. 25th and 26th. hollywoodbowl.com
Careful, kids. There's a new danger on the block. Nitazenes are a chemically defined class of substances derived from the parent compound nitazene. They were developed in the second half of the 1950s by the Swiss pharmaceutical giant Ciba AG as pain-relieving agents.
Big Pharma to blame for making obscene profits?
They are important as centrally active, selective μ-opioid receptor agonists. The high potency of fentanyl (in humans) is matched by only a few nitazenes and surpassed by etonitazene and isotonitazene.
Due to unacceptable side effects, nitazenes were never included in the pharmacopoeia of human or veterinary medicine.
Since 2019, highly potent nitazenes have proliferated as ″new synthetic opioids″ in the North American and European narcotics markets and as such have become a formative component of the opioid epidemic in the United States. Overdoses of nitazene opioids have led to several hundred documented fatalities [1].
"Ghost Month" (the Seventh Month of the Chinese Lunisolar Calendar, corresponding to Sept. 6 to Oct. 6, 2025) is the time of the Ghost Festival (Yulanpen). It is observed among the Chinese diaspora population of the world, particularly in Chinatowns, Malaysia, Singapore, and anywhere Mahayana Buddhism dominates. Hungry ghosts or petas (Sanskrit pretas) are miserable being who have been reborn deprived due to unskillful karma (deeds).
If hungry ghosts, demons, and malignant spirits are living beings, and Buddhists cherish all sentient beings, how do we exorcise them when they create obstacles in our lives? Why did Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) convert angry subhuman beings into "protectors of the Dharma" (Dharmapalas)? Why did the great Tibetan sage Milarepa have long conversations with ghosts and demons? How do can humans protect against curses and black magic? What are Buddhism’s Protective Verses (Parittas), and how do we chant them? These questions are answered in this “Buddhist Guide to Exorcism: A Spirit Handler’s Guide” and demonstrate some of the methods. More: Buddha Weekly
The Hungry Ghost Realm: A Buddhist Teaching of Hope in Addiction
(Mythos & Logos) Complete Archives: Mythos & Logos. The Realm of Hungry Ghosts (peta-loka) is a plane of existence in Buddhist cosmology, an unfortunate destination, an afterlife marked by deprivation, suffering, and dependency.
The journey of one of the Buddha's chief disciples, Maha Moggallāna (Sanskrit Maudgalyayana, Chinese Mulian), to this realm provides a first step for how to break the vicious cycle of addiction borne of trauma.
Many of us have a "hungry ghost" (peta, preta) lurking inside of us. If anyone is struggling, please reach out to a professional as there are many great organizations, including @TWLOHA, filled with people trained and willing to help.*
00:31 Bhavachakra at Punakha Dzong, Bhutan, photographed by Bernard Gagnon, licensed under Creative Commons
00:49 The Six Realms of Birth, Edo Period Japan, British Museum
01:13 Ghosts from the Bangkok National Museum
01:26 Hungry Ghost Scroll, Kyoto National Museum
02:06 Unending Hunger
02:09 Hungry Ghost Scroll, Kyoto National Museum
02:50 Haunting Ghosts from the Thirty-Seven Nats
03:15 Dr. Gabor Maté, In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction
03:54 Hungry Ghost Scroll, Kyoto National Museum
04:39 Maudgalyayana [Maha Moggallana] Rescuing His Mother, Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum
05:05 From Darkness
05:08 Ven. Maha Moggallana at Wat Olak Madu, Kedah, photographed by Ven. Anandajoti Bhikkhu, licensed under Creative Commons
05:38 Hungry Ghost Scroll, Kyoto National Museum
06:37 Yulanpen Sutra, Mahayana canon
07:12 Shakyamuni Buddha from the Dazu Rock Carvings, photographed by Michael Gunther, licensed under Creative Commons
07:42 Mulian Saves His Mother, 19th Century China
08:26 Into Light
08:30 Silk Roundel with Endless Knot Symbol, 19th Century China, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
09:00 Rahans Receiving Offerings, 19th Century Burma
09:18 Hungry Ghost Scroll, Kyoto National Museum
09:57 Offering at Hong Kong Ghost Festival, photographed by Rose Tim Wing Mxuiek, licensed under Creative Commons
10:10 Begging monk in Himeji, photographed by Nesnad, licensed under Creative Commons
10:20 Mukaebi of the Bon Festival, photographed by Batholith
10:55 Conclusion
10:59 Homeless man in New York, photographed by CGP Grey, licensed under Creative Commons
11:09 The Drinker by Albert Anker
11:26 Sinhalese manuscript, photographed by Wellcome Images, licensed under Creative Commons
11:51 Floating Lanterns, photographed by San Lie, licensed under Creative Commons
12:25 Hungry Ghost Scroll, Kyoto National Museum Ambient - The Ambient by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.
ABOUT: Mythos and Logos are two ancient words that can be roughly translated as “Story and Meaning.”
Support the channel by subscribing, liking, and commenting to join the conversation.
Patreon: mythosandlogos. The purpose of this channel is to share the important stories at the foundation of human cultures throughout history. These include mythology, legends, folktales, religious stories, and parables from the dawn of history to the modern day. This channel provides interpretations and insight into these stories, to find and apply their meaning to contemporary life. All stories covered are treated academically. This channel makes no claims regarding the historical, scientific, or religious truth of these tales. Rather, its goal is to find the meanings understood by their authors and apply them to the modern world.
*All channel income from October 31-November 30, 2021, donated to To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA) to help the Hungry Ghosts around us every day. Thanks for supporting an organization that helps those who are struggling.
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