We spent the day at the largest Chinese New Year celebration in the United States (roughly the size of Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel, Upstate New York). Hsi Lai (pronounced \she lie\, which means "Going West") Temple had it all, including Aztec dancers (Danza Azteca, perhaps representing Siberian Asians cum Native Americans who are mostly local Mexicans) topping off a cultural show of martial arts demonstrations, dances, dragons, and a big central horse representing the year to come.
The lines were out the door but moving fast.
The all-you-can-eat vegan buffet was great (daily, only $10) with noodles, veggies, sweet and sour, tofu, lotus roots, soup, tea, fruit, and fried Indian dharma wheels. The rare rainstorm in Los Angeles cleared the skies as the sun broke through for the outdoor festivities.
We have never seen the temple, said to be the largest in the Western Hemisphere, this crowded. Parking was only found blocks away, and buses were bringing in celebrants. Everyone had their phones out, filming the spectacle. And even the monastics were clapping and enjoying themselves.
Everyone was immersed in Chinese culture uniquely blending with this part of Mexico. (Yes, California is part of Mexico or was until our empire stole it from Spain's empire). Perhaps 20,000 well-wishers passed through the gates throughout the day. Festivities continue for two weeks.
Bliss and Wisdom (Chinese 福智, Pinyin Fúzhì) is a Taiwanese Buddhist [that practices Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism] organization operating in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island.
Founded in 1991 by Master Jih-Chang, the organization arrived in the Canadian province in 2008 and has come under scrutiny for its significant acquisitions of land.
A citizens group estimates that Bliss and Wisdom has acquired over 17,000 acres of land in crowded Prince Edward Island, contravening the province's land protection legislation.
The provincial government of Prince Edward Island launched an investigation into Bliss and Wisdom's landholdings in February 2025.
The organization has extensive business holdings in the areas of jewelry, electronics, organic farming, translation, and exporting. They operate a natural foods retailer based in Taiwan called Leezen, which opened its first overseas store in Charlottetown in 2016. More: Bliss and Wisdom: Buddhist organization
Nice Jesus the Anointed One, the Christ (Kristos) loves a prosperity gospel in his name?
Why Christians say these 10 religions are false
Is this fool's gold? It looks so shiny and pure.
For millions of faithful followers calling themselves "true Christians," truth isn’t a spectrum but a line drawn by scripture, and these ten belief systems cross it in ways they say matter eternally. [Should other religions be banned when Trump is installed as True Leader before Christmas 2026?]
Religion is often a hot topic at dinner tables across the country, especially when beliefs clash over who holds the ultimate truth about life and the afterlife.
Hey, you Goddamned sinners, send me $$!
For many Christians, their Bible serves as the final rulebook, the final truth, and any belief or faith that deviates in the slightest from [their translation and interpretation of] its core teachings is frequently viewed as missing the mark ("sinful").
This perspective stems from a deep belief and conviction that spiritual truth is not subjective but a narrow path defined by specific scriptures, some of which are apocryphal or not really found written anywhere, like the details of the "Rapture" to come.
While modern human society often encourages a flexible approach to spirituality, orthodox Christianity draws hard lines in stone regarding the nature of God and what counts as "salvation." Everyone else is wrong.
This often leads to strong disagreements over the validity of other faith systems (and often bigger fights within a single system, sect, or Christian denomination, some of which have no right to even call themselves "Christian"), from ancient traditions to newer spiritual movements.
Here is a look at ten belief systems that Christians often reject, along with the theological reasons they push back against them....
Mormons and Latter-Day Saints
Islam and the Prophet Mohammed [PBUH]
Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower
Scientology and Thetans [but genocidal Ziontology is okay]
Hinduism and the many gods [here's looking at you, Usha]
Buddhism and the Path to Nirvana
Wicca and Modern Paganism
New Age Spirituality
Unitarian Universalism
Atheism and Secular Humanism.
Coming in at Number 6, Buddhism and the Path to Nirvana: While Christians often respect the ethical discipline of Buddhism, they reject its central non-theistic stance (which many take as atheistic).
Buddhism does not acknowledge an ultimate Creator God (like Maha Brahma, the "Great Supremo" who imagines himself the Creator of all things), which is the very foundation of the Christian worldview
[with their Demiurge Yaldabaoth the vengeful Judge Yahweh/Jehovah of the Old Testament, even if Jesus spoke out against this impostor in the name of the True God of Light that stands behind everything, a kind of Brahman figure behind the illusion of Maya, if one only took Gnostic texts into consideration as was the case before the official Church banned and burned any such gospels and teachings by Jesus].
The Buddha taught the Path to Nirvana
The ultimate goal of Nirvana (the "Deathless," "freedom from all suffering and further rebirth"), which is the cessation of craving and cycling and wandering through the illusory and miserable Wheel of Life and Death (Samsara), is viewed as a hopeless end compared to the Christian promise of eternal life.
Christians also disagree with the idea that suffering is something to escape solely through human effort and mental cleansing. They believe that suffering has purpose and that God is present with believers through their torments, trials, and tribulations. [Smile, the Christian God wants you to suffer.]
A study by Arizona Christian University found that only 4% of American adults hold a biblical worldview, which might help to explain why Eastern philosophies (such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Sufism to some extent) are gaining traction over traditional church teachings.
[Adding an "-ism" to any word or doctrine is a good way to discredit it right off the bat, at least in the imperial Christ-ism/ propaganda we are fed in the West.]
The opening of the Eaton Fire Collab was a great success. The parking lot was overflowing, and the 36,000 square foot space was packed shoulder to shoulder with tours, a party, and lots of tabling by non-profit organizations. In the future Free Store (for those who apply in advance) sits the mural shown above, which is about 25 feet long. There was a party going in the central meeting area, along with free snacks. When in full swing, this will be the largest fire recovery hub in California. There is an entire section dedicated to mental health, relaxation, and recovery. It includes art therapy, peer-to-peer counseling, and other psychological resources.
The EFC Collaboratory is having a grand opening on Tuesday, Oct. 7th, at 540 W. Woodbury Ave. in Altadena (near the intersection of Lincoln and Woodbury). This massive 36,000 square foot compound is the home to many non-profits and an art collective. Our collaboration mural with impact artist Ekaterina Sky is now housed here and visible in the west-facing lounge near the rolling doors. The vision for the remainder of the space will be explained on the day to visitors and guests.
Eaton Fire Collaboratory Grand Opening
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 | 4:00 PM – 7:00 pm
540 W. Woodbury Ave, Altadena, California
Grand opening of EFC Collaboratory, Altadena
In January 2025, California faced one of the most devastating wildfire seasons in history. Thousands of families were displaced, homes were lost, and entire communities were left reeling in the aftermath.
For the past nine months, the StrongHome Network has been on the ground, serving, supporting, and walking alongside families impacted by these fires. Through collaboration with hundreds of dedicated organizations, SHN has worked tirelessly to help survivors rebuild their lives, restore hope, and begin again.
Now, SHN is thrilled to announce the Grand Opening of the Eaton Fire Collaboratory—a new shared space where over 40 organizations are coming together under one roof to continue this vital work.
The Collaboratory is a place of restoration, partnership, and community. Here, fire-affected families can access a wide range of resources including:
Essential needs and personal recovery support
Home rebuilding and construction guidance
Family and marriage strengthening programs
Mental health and wellness services
Business and financial recovery resources.
Following the grand opening, the Eaton Fire Collaboratory will remain open weekly during regular business hours to serve anyone in need of these resources.
Whether one seeks personal support, rebuilding assistance, or community connection, this will be a welcoming space for ongoing recovery and growth. If anyone was impacted by the fires or are passionate about supporting community recovery, all are invited to join SHN for this special event.
Come meet the partners, explore the space, connect with local leaders, and discover how we can all move forward—stronger together.
WHAT HAPPENED?Amigosdelosrios.org -- which is saving the remaining trees in Altadena after the Eaton Fire took more than half of them -- cleaned up the green space around the center in preparation for the open house on Tuesday, Oct. 7th.
Gold nuggets become bars, bars become coins and jewelry, which convert into cash
Metal detector signal under this boulder — we had to know what it was...praying
(How to Find Gold | Prospector Nic) May 26, 2025: Deep in a remote Aussie creek, Down Under, we locked onto a massive signal under the biggest boulder we’ve ever worked. The metal detector absolutely screamed — and we had to know what was down there.
We spent four hours digging, shifting heavy rock, soaked in sweat and bush grit…and when we finally got to the target — it wasn’t what we expected.
But GOLD has a funny way of testing one's patience.
This hunt proves it: If you don’t quit, the gold eventually shows itself.
Tons of lost U.S. gold
How many tons of gold did Europeans extract?
SUTRA: Gold Prospectors
Translated by Dhr. Seven based on Ven. Sujata translation (AN 3.101)
“Raw [unprocessed native] gold has coarse impurities: soil, sand, gravel. A prospector or an apprentice gold panner pours it into another pan, where they wash, rinse, and clean it.
When those coarse impurities have been eliminated, there are middling impurities in the raw gold: dirt and grit.
The prospector washes it again. When those have been eliminated, there are fine impurities in the raw gold: fine black grime. The prospector washes it again. When that has been eliminated, only golden flecks remain.
A goldsmith or apprentice places the raw gold in a crucible where they heat, melt, then smelt it. Still the raw gold is not settled as the dross is not totally gone. The gold is not pliable, workable, or radiant, but rather is brittle and not yet ready to be worked.
The goldsmith keeps on heating, melting, and smelting it until the raw gold becomes pliable, workable, and radiant, no longer brittle but ready to be worked.
Then the goldsmith can successfully create any kind of ornament, bet it a bracelet, earring, necklace, or a golden garland.
In the same way, a monastic (wandering ascetic) committed to higher mind has coarse impurities (corruptions): unskillful bodily, verbal, and mental conduct. A sincere, capable monastic [in training] gives these up, gets rid of, lets go of, and eliminates them.
When they have been let go of and eliminated, there are middling impurities: thoughts of sensuality, malice, and cruelty. A sincere and capable monastic gives these up, lets go of, gets rid of, and eliminates them.
When they have been given up and eliminated, there are fine impurities: thoughts of family, country, and status. A sincere and capable monastic lets go of, gives these up, gets rid of, and eliminates them. When they have been given up and eliminated, only thoughts about the Teaching (Dharma) are left.
That absorption (immersion) is not yet peaceful or sublime, not yet tranquil or unified, but is held in place by forceful suppression [of the mental defilements].
However, there comes a time when mind is stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes absorbed (immersed) in samādhi. That absorption is peaceful and sublime, tranquil and unified, not held in place by forceful suppression.
A monastic (a skillful trainee) extends the mind to realize by insight each and every thing that can be realized by insight; they are capable of realizing those things because each and every one is within range. More
How to get rich quick
With impurities eliminated, I could make $300K!
SUTRA: To the People of Venaga
(AN 3.63, Venāga Sutta) Translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi, edited by Dhr. Seven
...Then the Brahmin householders of Venāgapura approached the Blessed One [the Buddha].
Some paid homage and sat down respectfully to one side; some exchanged greetings with him and, when they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, sat down to one side; some reverentially saluted him and sat down to one side; some pronounced their name and clan and sat down to one side; some kept silent and sat down to one side.
The Brahmin Vacchagotta of Venāgapura then said to the Blessed One:
“It is astounding and amazing, Master Gotama [the Buddha], how Master Gotama’s faculties are tranquil and the color of his skin is pure and bright. Just as a yellow jujube fruit in the autumn is pure and bright, so Master Gotama’s faculties are tranquil and the color of his skin is pure and bright.
“Just as a palm fruit that has just been removed from its stalk is pure and bright, so Master Gotama’s faculties are tranquil and the color of his skin is pure and bright.
What is more valuable, gold or self-mastery?
“Just as an ornament of finest gold, well prepared by a skilled goldsmith and very skillfully wrought in the furnace, placed on red brocade, shines and beams and radiates, so Master Gotama’s faculties are tranquil and the color of his skin is pure and bright.”
[How are his beds? They must be very nice.] “Whatever high and luxurious kinds of bedding there are — sofa, divan, long-haired coverlet, coverlet of diverse colors, white, woolen with floral designs, quilt of cotton wool, woolen coverlet ornamented with animal figures, woolen coverlet with double borders, woolen coverlet with a single border, silken sheet studded with gems, sheet made with silk threads and studded with gems, dancer’s rug, elephant rug, horse rug, chariot rug, rug of antelope hide, spread made of the hide of the kadali-deer, bed with a canopy above and red bolsters at both ends — Master Gotama surely gains them at will without trouble or difficulty.”
“Brahmin, those high and luxurious kinds of bedding are rarely obtained by those who have gone forth [into the left-home life of a wandering ascetic or shramana], and if they are obtained, they are impermissible.
“But, Brahmin, there are three kinds of high and luxurious beds that at present I gain at will, without trouble or difficulty. What are these three?
“They are the celestial high and luxurious bed, the divine high and luxurious bed, and the noble high and luxurious bed. These are the three kinds of high and luxurious beds that at present I gain at will, without trouble or difficulty.”
Gear Used:
Minelab GPX 6000 + Nugget Finder 12x7"
Canon R7
DJI Mini 4 Pro
GoPro Hero 11
DJI Osmo Action 5. Follow Prospector Nic:
Website: howtofindgold.com.au
Facebook: nicolas.odgers. Instagram: prospectornic1.
TikTok: prospectornic. 📌 Want more Aussie gold adventures?
Make sure to subscribe, hit the bell, and drop a comment — Nic reads them all.
Cheers, legends!
#goldprospecting #metal detecting #australiangold #gpx6000 #bedrockgold #prospectornic #goldnuggets #outbackadventures
Nicolas Odgers, How to Find Gold | Prospector Nic, May 26, 2025; Bhikkhu Bodhi, Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net); Dhr. Seven (trans), Amber Larson (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly
(ReligionForBreakfast)
Feb. 20, 2025: Korean Shamanism (Musok with its trance mansins) is a dynamic religious tradition rooted in spirit mediation (not meditation), ritual healing, and ancestral veneration to appease the spirits all around.
Chinese dance tidbits: The dragon serpent dances of China (Fordney Foundation)
Gong xi fa cai and Xin nian kuai le are both good say. - Really? Now I can speak Chinese!
.
If the dragon is happy, we're all happy.
Chinese New Year, perhaps the most widely celebrated holiday in the world, typically takes place in January or February, after the Gregorian New Year on January 1st.
Whether spending it in Chinatown or in China, knowing how to wish people a happy new year in the local tongue is a nice touch. Feliz ano nuevo is the way it is said in Los Angeles, where Latin Americans surround Chinatown in all directions.
Come the big day, families and friends will be feasting, partaking in centuries-old superstitions, and spending time together to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year (the Spring Festival).
With vibrant celebrations taking place from Sydney to San Francisco, there are plenty of opportunities to pay respects and well wishes to the Chinese, especially with customary greetings.
Chinese New Year is a massive, international celebration. With people scattered around the planet observing the Lunar New Year, there are sure to be fireworks, parades, and street fairs in nearly every major city.
Although the first few days are the most observed, Chinese New Year actually runs for 15 consecutive days and ends with the Lantern Festival. Preparations take place for weeks in advance to ensure that this period is filled with luck and prosperity (two things the Chinese value immensely).
Karma, not chance, causes luck?
Hello, venerable sir, I'm a lucky dragon.
What is the cause of "luck," Buddha? - It is karma as the great arbitrator and distributor of what is wished for, welcome, and experienced as pleasant. - But which karma (deeds, intentional actions)? - Keeping the Five Precepts and engaging in the Ten Courses of Wholesome Conduct. - And what is the cause of doing these skillful actions? - It is confidence (faith, saddha)or right view or direct knowledge of things. (We may not have right view, but we can go for guidance (not refuge like everyone mistranslates it) to Three Resources that do: the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the (Noble) Sangha. - Is there more to being lucky? - Giving (dana), sharing, letting go, benefitting others, these things do a person great good. - How much good, Buddha? - If beings knew, as I know, the power of giving, they would not eat a meal without first sharing if there were anyone with whom to share it. Such is the power of giving and benefitting others.
Start with just these three things.
I said to the monks at the Sri Lankan Buddhist temple, "I need good karma. What is the best way of making skillful karma?" They acted like they had never heard this question before but finally answered with two slogans, dana, sila, bhavana ("generosity, virtue, meditation") for laypeople and sila, samadhi, panna ("virtue, stillness, and wisdom") for more serious and intensive practitioners willing to do it. Notice that both share sila or virtue in common as a vital ingredient.
This is a time for family and lots of food. Firecrackers are thrown in abundance to frighten away unlucky spirits, and red is worn, even red underwear, because of its symbolic meaning.
Children receive small gifts and money in red envelopes called lai see, and various historical figures are honored.
"Chinese" is not really a language because there is official Mandarin and the older Cantonese, which is closer to Japanese than it is to Chinese, our Chinese professor astounded us by revealing. Could it be true? If someone is speaking Cantonese or Japanese, they will soon get a sense of what the other is saying, but the Mandarin speaker remains in the dark.
"Happy New Year" in Mandarin
Prosperity breeds prosperity, so get lucky.
Unlike Western New Year's Eve celebrations, which tend to be about short-lived resolutions [ending tend days in on QUITTERS DAY] to improve ourselves, the primary goal of Chinese New Year traditions is to usher in good luck and prosperity in the new year.
With such vast variations in Chinese culture and ethnic groups around the world, there are many ways to say "happy new year" in Chinese. Most of them are rooted in luck and financial success.
Gong xi fa cai is pronounced "gong zee fah tsai," where gong xi means "congratulations" and is also a way to wish one joy. Fa cai is "to become rich or make money." In essence, one is wishing one joy and prosperity to another for the new year. Business owners and workmates use gong xi fa cai as the usual way to say "happy new year" in Chinese.
Xin nian kuai leis pronounced "sheen neean kwai luh," kuai le means "happy" or "joyous," and xin nian means "new year." Xin nian kuai le is a great way to say happy new year in Chinese to friends without referencing money.
"Happy New Year" in Cantonese
Are good and bad luck mere superstitions?
Cantonese is the language primarily spoken by the people of [business-minded, former imperial British colony] Hong Kong.
The Cantonese "happy new year" greeting differs slightly from the Mandarin version, even though both are actually written the same way.
Gong hey fat choy is the Cantonese pronunciation of Mandarin's gong xi fa cai, simply meaning "congratulations and prosperity."
(Dan Hurd) Premiered July 28, 2024: Grizzled Old Dan is back to gold panning the Fraser River. Today, he's showing what he's up to. He's going to move big rocks that should be hiding big gold. He has found many pieces of big gold under these rocks in the past, including some gold nuggets. Can he do even better today? Let's find out together.
Next up, how to rob a piggy bank with a water gun to save time from all that rock moving, panning, and back straining, whew.
Gold fever is a sign of greed
Enki's gold (Michael Tellinger)
Imagine an illness, a sickness of the heart, a derangement of the mind, and let's call it "gold fever." It's innocent enough today, but there was a time when Europeans arrived and killed, enslaved, and tortured for it. They could not get enough. Not only because they came to the "New" World indebted or because the ship's captain did not want to pay them in currency but instead in deals, gold fever took over the minds of many sailors. El Dorado ("The Golden") was a city made of gold that they had to find. There were mountains of silver stripped from the land that changed the economic system of European countries like Spain. But gold and slaves and resource rich territories were the real prize. It wasn't enough to become rich, one had to seize power and rule, bringing ruin to the indigenous that had lived in harmony for thousands of years.
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Garrett AT Gold metal detector: http://shrsl.com/2c397
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This video is produced by Dan Hurd, Prospector, Miner, Teacher and YouTuber, as part of his YouTube channel based on educational videos about gold mining, gold panning, prospecting, rock hounding, and mineral collecting. #thefinders #thekeepers #getrichquickschemes #goldpanning #findinggold
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