Walk for Peace: Buddhist monks and dog

(Houston Stringer) Walk for Peace: Buddhist monks and their dog Aloka (Pali "Light") stop at Laotian Wat Phouthasamakhy (Buddhist temple) in Houston, Texas

Why Zen? Alan Watts on experience

Alan Watts, Something's Happening, KPFK.org, March 9, 2025

Zen as Taoism and Mahayana-Hinduism

I'd rather talk about Taoism than Dhamma

The Tao is not Buddhism, but it has been made into Buddhism (at least the version of Buddhism called Zen) by incorporating Taoist philosophy into the Buddhism of Japan, China, Korea, and Vietnam. It is far from the only form of Buddhism, in some ways straying so far from the historical Buddha's Teaching or Dharma that one could call it into question as a syncretism or apocryphal Mahayana doctrine. Who has time for the sutras the Buddha spoke when we can look at koans ("public cases") and puzzle over them to get out of our intellectual minds? They're funnier, more surprising, paradoxical riddles and entertaining stories. We might never learn what the Buddha taught, but hey, come on, life is short, and we have all the time in the world to waste. Plus, Zen looks cool, and that's half the battle right there. We might even get a cool Japanese name. Right, Doggone?

Can I get the name Kwan Chan Kane?

The Japanese term kōan is the Sino-Japanese reading of the Chinese word gong'an (Chinese 公案, pinyin gōng'àn, Wade–Giles kung-an, lit. "public case"). The Zen term is a compound word, consisting of the characters 公 ("public; official; governmental; common; collective; fair; equitable") and 案 ("table; desk, altar; [law] case; record; file; plan; mandate, proposal.") More

It's funny in that, if it leads to a sudden realization (kensho, epiphany, satori), the way a joke is funny because we are led down one road in the setup and down another in the punchline, it's like someone hitting a gong, at least in the sitcom world of our imagination and American TV shows depicting Asian or "Oriental" way of speaking, full of deep wisdom and a sudden change of perspective. For example, Douglas Adams was famous for his ability to turn a phrase, one time depicting the ET character Ford Prefect (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) complaining to the human Arthur Dent:

• FORD: "It feels unpleasantly like being drunk."
• ARTHUR: "Well, what's so unpleasant about being drunk?"
• FORD: "You ask a glass of water."

We thought "drunk" referred to being intoxicated then suddenly find out Ford meant the past tense of drink. This kind of turning led to a whole class of Orientalisms (intended in the pejorative sense of Westerners stereotyping an Asian manner of speaking), leading to a famous class of jokes like:

"Man who fart in church sit in his own pew" where pew is pronounced phew!

This is significant because the Tao is translated as "the Way," but the Buddha taught that "Way" or "Path" was magga, the Noble (Ennobling, Enlightening) Eightfold Path, not following the Tao or "path of least resistance," going with the flow, just doing whatever.

Soto Zen monk in meditation pose

Alan Watts knows that, but do his listeners realize he is most of the time talking about Taoism and Vedic Hinduism rather than what the Buddha taught, for that is what Mahayana concerns itself (the former, not so much the latter). Ask a Mahayana Buddhist what the historical Buddha taught, and they won't know much of anything beyond lists, which they imagine are very rudimentary and obvious, whereas they extol their apocryphal texts as being "the real thing" Siddhartha Gautama meant but never said. The most famous Buddhist sutras are not the Buddha's teaching but derivative works of clever invention: the Heart Sutra, Diamond Sutra, Platform Sutra, Flower Adornment Sūtra, all kinds of nice-sounding Sanskrit texts, leaving to the wayside what the Buddha taught as key to enlightenment and progress in wisdom and compassion. Alan Watts hardly ever mentions Theravada (Pali canon) or Sarvastivada Buddhism, preferring instead the Eastern philosophy of India, China, and Japan. As long as listeners know that, he is a great "philosophical entertainer." If they do not realize that, he must be very confusing.

• Alan Watts - KPFK 90.7 FM
• KPFK 90.7 FM - Listen Live
• Alan Watts (alanwatts.org) via Something's Happening  with Diane Tuckman, RN (KPFK.org, March 9, 2025); Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

What is vipassana (insight) meditation?

The Buddha's answer: What exactly is vipassanā?

Ego Podcast (Buddhism) Jan. 9, 2025: Many believe vipassanā (pronounced \vee-paw-saw-naw\) is said to be a standalone meditation technique distinct from samatha (\saw-maw-taw\), but the Buddha’s teachings suggest a deep integration of these practices. They are not standalone methods at all. Explore the truth about vipassanā and its role in successful Buddhist practice.

This video explores what vipassanā ("clear seeing") truly means, its role alongside samatha, and how they contribute to ultimate liberation. It is only on the basis of calm, stillness, and serenity developed through samatha that successful vipassana is possible. The first is the rocket fuel that feeds the second.

Like, comment, and subscribe to deepen understanding of the Buddha’s teachings. #VipassanaMeditation #SamathaAndVipassana #BuddhaTeachings #MeditationTechniques #InsightAndTranquility.

Find Calm on Election Day: cute animals

Meditation + confidence = calm.

Calm.com and the San Diego Zoo are providing a peaceful diversion on Election Day with cute animal videos. 

Why it matters: It's important to find ways to de-stress and stay calm during election season, which won't be over on Nov. 5th.

Driving the news: Calm is hosting a live stream from the San Diego Zoo on Instagram so we can take a break from political doomscrolling to watch capybaras, meerkats, penguins, and other beautiful wildlife.

It starts at noon PT until polls close across the country.

• 7 best places to go in the US in case of a societal collapse

Those humans are so full of fleas, ticks, and bugs because they won't clean each other.

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Between the lines: Calm also has free "Election Season Support" content with breathing exercises, meditations and other mindfulness tools.

🐅 The intrigue: While he won't be featured on the livestream, a new tiger cub is out to play at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Baby Barong, which means "king of spirits," stepped out of his den for the first time last week. Watch him here or visit him in person at the park this weekend. More

• How to get through Election Day (The Atlantic)

Going Zen at home with Jennifer Garner

Balance: Taoist-Buddhist yin-yang symbol showing the seeds of the opposite on each side

Let's go to Jen Affleck's house to help her.

(Homes & Garden) Thoughts of a Los Angeles "farmhouse" may not immediately lead to a Zen Garden (or, more specifically, a pool area), but Hollywood actor Jennifer Garner has just challenged our conventions.

The actress's pared-back exterior space (architecturally designed by Steve Giannetti) makes a case for minimalist garden design – most notably thanks to its lack of planting, poolside furniture, and accessories.

• The Zen of Jen (and Ben) | Marie Claire She's the nicest girl in town, but as a newish mom in 2007 and as Ben Affleck's wife, Jennifer Garner is finally learning to show some steel. Now in 2024 he's miserable because Latin dreamboat Jennifer Lopez has dumped him again, so Jen and Matt Damon have to keep him off the ledge.

(Live_Online #A) Jen Garner does a live at home guided meditation
with r. Chelsea online: Forgiving a piece of yourself (Feb. 17, 2021).

However, despite the absence of decoration, Garner's pool area is anything but boring. Instead, it's soothing, grounding, and designed so that the wood (from both the house and the decking) can take center stage.

• Zen is a Japanese word from Chinese (Chán). The Korean (Sŏn), Vietnamese (Thiền), Pali (Jhana), and Sanskrit (Dhyana) are all words for "meditation," more specifically a kind of serene state of absorption. "Zen" in everyday use refers to the practices in the popular imagination rather than a Mahayana Buddhist school that originated in China (禪宗, chánzōng, the Chan School, "meditation school") or the Buddha-mind school (佛心宗, fóxīnzōng) [1] that later developed into various sub-schools and branches. Zen was strongly influenced by Taoism ☯️, especially Neo-Daoist thought, and developed into a distinct school of Chinese Buddhism [2]. China got Zen from India, Chán deriving from Buddhist dhyana. It then spread south to Vietnam and became Vietnamese Thiền, northeast to Korea to become Seon Buddhism, and east to Japan, becoming Japanese Zen Buddhism [3]. Zen emphasizes serenity meditation practice and direct insight into one's own innate "Buddha nature" (見性, Chinese jiànxìng, Japanese kenshō), and the personal expression of this insight in daily life for the benefit of others [4, 5]. Wiki edited by WQ

Native American practice? Jen's rain dance for LA

This natural material works in harmony with the surrounding greenery and pool water to bring a sense of calmness to the area, and it's one of the finest (and one of the most beautifully simple) examples of a Zen Garden we've observed over the reign of this ever-growing outdoor trend.

A pool makes me feel cool in the garden

• (Marie Claire) A rolled-up yoga mat and a baby stroller is pretty much all you need to blend in at the farmhouse-red Brentwood Country Mart in West Los Angeles [outside of Tinsel Town, closer to UCLA], where Jennifer Garner has asked me to meet her. The cozy-looking place is an apt choice for Hollywood's most down-to-earth star, except for the novelty item being sold at the bakery today: $5 cupcakes commemorating Paris Hilton's imminent trip to jail. There's a camera crew set up by the cash register. In a pair of blue jeans, a short-sleeve polka-dot blouse, and sneakers, Garner is walking along...when I stroll over to say hi. At which point she shoots me a curt "hello" and turns her back. Cuts me dead, [b*tch]. But it's half of the Bennifer! More
• 20 things millionaires refuse to buy despite having money

Stalking Nirvana (Sings-Alone)

Alongside Garner's (unintentional) approval, experts say we owe the rise of Zen-style gardens to their therapeutic qualities – many of which translate to spaces of all sizes (whether we have a pool or not). The key is in the simplicity, they explain.

"Compared to cottage and country garden-style gardens, this style of outdoor space is uncomplicated and paired back. It doesn’t feature a lot of different flowers, creating a sense of peace and tranquility," comments Marcus Eyles, the horticultural director at Dobbies.

• Kelly Ladwig - Nashville Realtor | Anyone else walk down the street and wish they could get a peek into everyone’s home? (Instagram)

"The aim is to create a space with a modern feel – light and clean lines are important when it comes to establishing a sense of Zen." More

VIDEO: Inside Jennifer Garner’s Farm-Style L.A. Home | Open Door | Architectural Digest

(Architectural Digest) Sept. 3, 2024: Today, AD is welcomed by Jennifer Garner to tour her farm-style home in Los Angeles. When designing Garner’s home, there was no Pinterest board or pictures from a magazine; it was simply an in-depth discussion with designers Steve and Brooke Giannetti and a watercolor painting of their vision. Together, they designed a farmhouse-style oasis full of warmth and character. From her wooden kitchen with a dedicated baking station to an orchard in the backyard, it’s easy to forget Garner lives among the hustle and bustle of LA. “I wanted it to feel old and cool and historic, but I also wanted to make it work for a big family with a lot of things going on.”

• How Jennifer Garner uses wood to ground her Zen pool area | Homes & Gardens (homesandgardens.com)
• Home & Garden via MSN.com; Architectural Digest, 9/3/24; Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit Zen

The Cave: A Guided Meditation (audio)

Hey, don't go in there! It could be dangerous!

This is a special meditation. Linda Pappa has intuitively been drawing caves and Earth vortices for the past few years, feeling very grounded and connected to them.

We can work with [the archetype of] The Cave in a subtle way. Fall approaches, and darkness starts to creep in. The Cave can be a symbol of winter shelter and journeying within.

My relationship with pure Earth (artist Linda Pappa)

Chiang Mai, Thailand (Linda Pappa)

Will we listen and go inward, or will we stay superficial? During a Winter Solstice ceremony, I led a meditation guided by The Cave. It felt like nothing else.

Caves, where does one begin? Caves are places of profundity, density, and form.

Caves bring us into the present, representing a sacred space of retreat. It has always been so. This is womb-consciousness, Bhumi/Gaia/Tierra's own. They are temples, holy places of offering, where introspection and deep inner transformation can take place.

• 10 best cave trails in Buddhist Thailand (All Trails)
• From Chiang Mai, Thailand: Chiang Dao Cave Trekking Full-Day Tour (GetYourGuide)
• Caves of Buddhist Thailand 2024 (tripadvisor.com)

This is Mother Nature's womb, our birth canal? - Well, yeah, I mean, in a way, metaphorically.

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Returning to Earth’s womb means returning to our own center, returning to our Source and Ground, to the dark inner point of a sacred labyrinth.

I forgot I buried all that to not have to feel it.

The Cave resides inside, the deepest, most intimate spot. It holds our secrets, our traumas, our pains, and our potential for magic.

Our modern way of living does not encourage us to go into a place like this at all. It’s dark and scary. But if we dare to visit often enough, we will not only transform ourselves, but also our ties to others, our ancestors, and the greater whole.

The Great Weave, Lamu, Kenya (Linda Pappa)

The Cave can be a place of HEALING, begging us to FEEL so that we can finally process our emotions, take their lessons, and pass them through us as we notice, acknowledge, and claim them.

Inner fire digests food, warms and builds us.

The way to make ourselves feel comfortable going into darkness (and wanting to stay there long enough for transformation) is to work with the elemental energy of fire, or temperature (tejo-dhatu).

Not only is fire in the womb needed for alchemical transformation, it is also a comforting presence. The Cave can otherwise feel cold and uninviting.

• [Caves are warm and inviting, quiet and stable, which is why humans have retreated into them for ages. They provide safety, security, and refuge from outer chaos.]

What crystallized treasures are hidden here?

In the stillness, fire brings us into the present moment, now, directly reminding us of how our ancestors lit fires inside. The Cave connects us, and fire warms us to the bone.

Cave and fire take us on a trip to the center, into the primordial beginning.

Fire + Earth (Linda Pappa)

Linda Pappa and her partner David recorded the following with love, using grounding frequencies and a shamanic drum. They invite listening to this meditation by first preparing a space and holding self as safely as possible. It runs deep.

May you be guided by the inner body of Earth and yours. 

May you be warmed by your own Holy Fire. 

May you be led to dance to the rhythm of your inner drum.

• AUDIO: The Cave Guided Meditation

• Linda Pappa (lindapappa.com) edited by Dhr. Seven and Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly

Where can I gain jhana? BSWA, Australia

Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Laywomen to fully ordained Buddhist nuns

BSWA is a Buddhist non-profit association serving a local and global community irrespective of age, color, creed, or sexual orientation.

Its aim is to establish and support both male and female monastics to practice in a secluded, forest setting close to the original way in which monastics practiced in early Buddhist communities.

This forms the basis for nurturing teachers in the present and future to offer wisdom and insight derived from personal practice to a diverse and growing lay community.

Dhammasara nunnery, Australia (BSWA)

BSWA offers numerous resources and support to those interested in practicing the Dhamma (the Buddha's Teachings) as encapsulated in the Four Noble Truths, the fourth of which is the Noble Eightfold Path of the historical Buddha.

In the spirit of reconciliation, the Buddhist Society of Western Australia recognizes the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land on which we live, work, and care. We pay our respects to Native Elders past, present, and emerging. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.

Jhana Grove Retreat Centre

If only Johnny and Amber had meditated well.

Jhana Grove is a dedicated meditation retreat center nestled in a valley of the Darling Scarp adjacent Bodhinyana Monastery in Serpentine, Western Australia.

It can accommodate up to 60 guests at a time, each guest with one's own room and ensuite. This allows a great deal of privacy and thus maximizes the benefits of Buddhist meditation practice.

British monk Abbot Ajahn Brahm, BSWA

Connected by a covered walkway to the cottage is a large, air-conditioned meditation hall with three adjoining halls for the convenient practice of walking meditation.

There is also a well-equipped kitchen and dining area, as well as laundry, office, and storage facilities. A small caretaker's residence completes the center.

• ABOUT: Buddhist Society of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia (BSWA.org) (locations)

• About Jhana Grove
• BSWA Retreats at Jhana Grove
• Retreat Dates and Bookings
• Getting Ready for Retreat
• Getting to Jhana Grove
• Donate to Jhana Grove
• Meditation Retreats Daily Schedule
• Noble Silence
• Jhana Grove Contact
• FAQ
• BSWA.org; Amber Larson (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

Chicken Brain/Monkey Mind: Meditation

Don't choke your man-chicken all week and expect it to calm down when you sit for meditation.

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I can't get this man-chicken to shut the h*ll up!

Oh, it's you. (Gary Larson)

The Buddha taught two general types of "meditation" (bhavana, "cultivation"), calm (shamatha stillness = samadhi) and insight (vipassana, "clear seeing"). It all begins with calm and relaxation. It is essential for entering a meditative state. This is greatly aided by letting go and allowing the meditation to occur naturally. We are not "doing" it; it is just happening. What we do do is set up the conditions, the ingredients, the circumstances for calm to happen.

• 10 funniest Far Side comics that prove Gary Larson is obsessed with chickens (ScreenRant/MSN)

Discursive (monkey) thinking in average American

Pick a quiet and undistracted location, time, and come to it in silence (because outward silence gives way to inner silence), well rested with the determination to sit for such and such a length of time, say 20 minutes or an hour. The habit or "ritual" of doing it cues the mind to get into that peaceful state.

Quick and easy techniques to calm anxious mind

It is very refreshing. With the mind trained to enter this lightly hypnagogic state of deep relaxation, things can go very deep in a relatively short time. Otherwise, we risk taking to the mat for years, only noticing progress after a while. Of course, progress is made from meditating even once, but it is not likely to be noticeable until we sit on a somewhat regular basis and have our waking life mirror our inner calm.

Big set up. The punchline is lying behind the cowboy's hindquarters.

Look away, Monk, or you'll get no peace!

What happens in a sitting meditation is very much affected by what we do for the other 23 or more hours of the day. By way of comparison, imagine owning a chicken. And once a day (alone) or once a week (in a group), we sit to meditate for an hour. What is the likelihood that that chicken is going to stay calm and quiet for an hour and not bother anyone? Next to none. But it all depends.

If anyone thinks a chicken is going to calm down because we tell it, "Calm down and shut up!" or attempt to beat, strangle, and chase it around the room, try to grab it by the neck and wrestle it to the mat, we must not know very many chickens.

They are nervous, inquisitive, territorial, bothersome, easily disturbed nuts. And once riled, it is almost impossible to get them to calm down again.

Training our chickens (minds) to fly effortlessly is meditation.

But if we pet it lovingly, soothe it, look on it with kind eyes, bring it back to sitting still again and again, without getting angry or frustrated with it, it might calm down for a minute, and not much more than that.

But if we choke our chicken, yell at it, threaten it, grab it by the feathers and try to force it down, scream at it to shut the h*ll up, that will never work. It will only reflect what we are intending at it.

Now we may say, we don't have a chicken and we never will. But we do, and we always have. Only we call it a mind. That mind is much more sensitive than a chicken, much more reactive to our attitude towards it, much harder to settle and keep calm even for a minute. We can fake it until we make it, but "monkey mind" may drive us so crazy that we can't even fake it.

Then what are we doing? Berating it, treating it the way we were raised -- or at least all the bad ways in which we were raised: yelling, anger, punishment, threats, condemnation, criticism, dismissal, non-support. Whew, what a number our parents or caretakers did on us.

What were you expecting, Doctor, a chicken? - No, my Little Ducky, no.

If only a detective were on hand to make sense of the clues.

We have actually always been taught that one way to remain calm in the midst of the "slings and arrows" life hurls at us -- being hit with unpleasant words, sights, sounds, circumstances, or threats, or attitudes and shades and the sense that we are not liked or, worse yet, physical abuse -- is to slowly count to ten.

Well, what's the use of that if we have not in advance linked that counting to a calmer state.

I like life much better now that I'm not afraid you'll yell at me for anything wrong I might d.

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What comes first, calm or a calm-chicken?

But the Silva Method of Mind Valley's Vivek, we can accustom our minds to associate that calm counting with an objective measure of calm, a more soothing brainwave state. Try it. And at all times everywhere for the whole week between group sits (but particularly at every solo sit), be nice to your chicken. Treat it as you would want to be treated in the best of circumstances.

If only we had a nice closing line to wrap it all up in a memorable way. "A happy wife, a happy life" or, in this case, "a foul fowl is a living howl," where "howl" means hell. "A happy hubby, a stubby chubby"? No, that one doesn't work. Got it! "A happy spouse, a peaceful house"! Yes, that's an original!

• It's a technicality, but things arise together. Paticca samuppada (Dependent Origination, Conditioned Co-Genesis, Conditionality) means things co-arise simultaneously. See Bhikkhu Bodhi, As It Is (tape series),
• Gary Larson (The Far Side); This is Part II by Meditation Instructor Seven, as told to Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Jen Bradford, Moon, Wisdom Quarterly, from a Mind Valley commercial by Vivek Lakhani based on an idea, insight, and teaching by Jose Silva, author of Silva Mind Control.

Insight LA morning meditation (weekdays)

InsightLA.org Senior Meditation Teacher Beth Sternlieb; Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven, Jen Bradford (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Begin the day by meditating with others and setting good intentions in the welcoming, dependable embrace of the Insight LA community.

Join Senior Teacher Beth Sternlieb weekdays online at 7:30 am for Buddhist meditation, Q&A, and discussion.

MORNING COMMUNITY SIT

In this weekday morning guided meditation, participants are invited to give attention to relaxing the body, soothing the heart, and calming the mind.

Traditional teachings from the Buddha are shared as helpful instructions for transforming our everyday lives.

SCHEDULE

• 7:30–8:00 AM Guided Meditation
• 8:00–8:10 AM Optional Silent Meditation
• 8:10–8:30 AM Questions, Reflections, and Discussion

Get to know fellow practitioners in Friday small group meetings.

WHO IS THIS PRACTICE GROUP FOR

The morning community sit is for anyone who would like to begin the day with more clarity, ease, and calm. Join Insight LA for this simple way to stay connected to a Buddhist practice and community.

WHERE IS THE EVENT LOCATED

This is an ONLINE event only. Join LIVE on Zoom from the comfort of home.

BY DONATION

Registration is required. This is a donation-based class. Suggested donation: $15, but no one is turned away for lack of funds.

• REGISTER: Morning Community Sit, weekdays (M-F)
• FREE TO RSVP:
• Disclosure Project, City (Dharma Buddhist Meditation)
• Nature Center, Valley (Dharma Buddhist Meditation)
• PasaDharma, Foothills (Dharma Buddhist Meditation)

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