What happens at a Zen meditation? Los Angeles-based groups are growing, adhering to two basic principles. One, keep it cool, laidback, liberal, lowkey, everyday, normal but, two, make it seem exotic. How is that achieved?
One way is to chant in an Asian language, following the customs and ritual procedures of a formal (zazen) group sitting practice -- including both Soto and Rinzai traditions, which rely on koans ("public cases"). They may sound like paradoxical riddles to the Western ear, but they are in Rinzai rather than Soto Zen centers in the U.S.
Groups walk intent on practicing mindful awareness of the present moment with everything going on here and now. This present moment may not always be pleasant, but it is always tolerable when viewed from a dispassionate perspective, such as noting, "Then there's this," as one Western ajahn is fond of saying.
This point-of-view allows us to be the WATCHER rather than the usual, overly-involved "DOER," "RESISTER," or person taking it all very personally in accordance with the Three Poisons of passion, aversion, and delusion (greed, hatred/fear, ignorance).
WHAT HAPPENS?
Practitioners gather in a quiet place that is not completely quiet. They take to zafus and zabutons, cushions, for seating themselves facing the wall or the center of the space.
Then there's chanting in English, Sanskrit, or a Japanese transliteration of Sanskrit, with wooden percussion and/or singing bowl accompaniment. There's bowing and more clacking sticks. Then the group settles in for a sitting (zazen) session of shikantaza, which is often translated as "just sitting."
There's now nothing to do but observe. There's no need to stop thinking or make anything happen other than what is happening now. This is how it is. A bell rings to signal that walking meditation (kinhin) is about to begin, first very slowly then at normal speed, all the while with everyone remaining very mindful. Another bell announces a second sitting session after walking. That ends with a bell, bowing, arranging cushions in a circle, and then discussion begins.
A Dharma talk might mention the paradox of the impersonal aspiring for "self" awakening. Most groups open up a Q&A discussion. This might start a storm of comments or awkward silence, laughs or uncomfortable shifting, and possibly some insight into American Buddhism. Everyone returns the next week.
Ayya Tathaaloka and the Buddhist nuns of the Alliance for Bhikkhunis (bhikkhuni.net)
Global Congress on Buddhist Women, Hamburg, Germany
Special rules for females that subordinate Buddhist nuns to monks (garudhammas or "heavy offenses") are not what they first appear to be.
American Theravada Buddhist nun Ayya Tattaaloka reveals what her research, as well as that of other Buddhist scholars, found. There appears to be no gender difference. (How could that be? We are all led to believe women are subordinate to men in the monastery).
Both monks and nuns have sanghadisesa (calling for a meeting and subsequent meeting of the Sangha) disciplinary rules, which are rather heavy.
In the same way, both males and females have "heavy offenses," that is, garudhammas.
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Ayya Taathaloka (videos); Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly, originally compiled on 9/17/10
50 strangers swipe on each other | vs 1 (IRL: in real life)
(nectar) Feb. 10, 2024: Just in time for Valentine's Day 2024, which happens to fall on a major religious holiday of abstinence, self-control, and sensual sacrifice, it's time to find a date before the big V-Day event to get lucky by finding a lifelong mate with whom to buy a house, have healthy children, and divide all of our possessions in divorce court with. Is cupidity stupidity, or are we just having fun until someone gets into his/her feelings? Dumped. Next!
Click https://betterhelp.com/nectar for 10% off first month of therapy with the show's sponsor BetterHelp. Join over 4 million people who’ve met with a therapist on BetterHelp and started living a healthier, happier life.
"Together at Home" is an ongoing virtual concert series, fueled by Global Citizen in support of multibillionaire vaccine profiteer Bill Gates' W.H.O. in order to promote physical separation, social distancing, and psychological isolation during the planned 2019–2020 coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic featuring our favorite distractions. Hint: Watch more TV for easier hypnotic inductions and top-down programming.More
Featuring: Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Lady Gaga, Chris Martin, J Balvin, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCarthy of the Beatles, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Andrea Bocelli, Kacey Musgraves, John Legend, Elton John, Shah Rukh Khan, Eddie Vedder, Finneas, Kerry Washington, David Beckham, Burna Boy, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Idris and Sabrina Elba, Lang Lang, Keith Urban, Maluma. Hosted by Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and Jimmy Kimmel. (Appearances subject to change).
What will Billie Eilish do to top herself?
What a dud. Bro & Sis phone it in with the unoriginal "Sunny." *Yawn* All the PR just for this?
Oliver Burkeman (Guardian, May 4, 2018); Seth Auberon, Crystal Quintero, Wisdom Quarterly (Far East Movement) I'm "The Illest" in this boring office, proving that I'm as special as Riff Raff!
I'm on meds b'cuz I'm the illest - Kanye West
Among the creepier experiences of modern life is one that happens to me, though definitely not just me, on a regular basis: I’ll meet a friend for a [chat], he’ll recommend some book or film or product he thinks I’ll like, and then, within days -- without searching for it online -- I’ll start seeing targeted Web ads for it.
"Look At Me Now" Them rappers be the most uniquest of all peoples because they can do choreographed dance moves and sing: Busta Rhymes, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown...
Kanye thinks he is, but I AM. I'm special.
But there’s another reason Big Tech knows us so much better than we think, which is that each of us is far more "normal" [statistically average] than we realize.
Given a little information about me, both Facebook and my friend alight on the same recommendation because my constellation of interests is far less special, and thus more predictable, than I’d like to believe.
It’s also frequently an accusation flung at the youth by the old.
But all that’s really just a distraction from the brute statistical fact: on any given dimension, all else being equal, of course you’re probably normal. Shorn of any value judgment, that’s all the word “normal” means. More
The Los Angeles Indigenous community has been working in collaboration for two years to educate the LA City Council on the critical importance of a motion establishing Indigenous Peoples Day. Join us for this historic vote. Show up with family and friends. And share this notice with your networks.
Los Angeles City Council's motion on will be discussed and voted on by the full LA City Council:
LA City Council meeting on LA Indigenous Peoples Day motion
Give us science, give us evidence we can see with our own eyes rather than CGI and hoaxes
Remember the Space Shuttle "disaster"
If this is true, NASA has a lot of explaining to do. No manned missions into space, just rocket with a jet plane piggy backing which we are assured is just a "glider," which would be silent but one can hear the jet engines on reentry. We are not regularly going into space on a shuttle, nor have we been in space by conventional means in decades. NASA continues to hoax.
(Captain Obvious) This video debunks globe spinning earth. Read: amazon.com The actual shape of the earth, disputing gravity and math models as explanation, NASA
The world fans loved is brought back to life by J.J. Abrams doing better than Lucas.
Directed by Alexandre O. Philippe, produced by Vanessa Philippe, Kerry Deignan, Roy Robert Muratore, Anna Higgs, Alexandre Philippe, written by Alexandre O. Philippe.
(See special plot below). We gave him our love, our money, and our online parodies. He gave us? The prequels. The passion the original "Star Wars" trilogy inspires in its fans is unparalleled. But when it comes to George Lucas himself, many of us have found our ardor has cooled into a complicated love-hate relationship.
This hilarious, heartfelt documentary delves deep into Lucas's cultural legacy. Utilizing interviews taken from over 600 hours of footage.
Above all this film asks the question: Who truly owns that galaxy far, far away—the man who created it, or the fans who adore it?
Shocking Star Wars video is available that cannot be embedded but can be viewed on youtube for those who have not yet seen the capitalist movie. WARNING: Spoiler alert!
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SPECIAL PLOT
(Thomas Searle via RalphGarman) The plot is essentially that there is a war in space, like the Vedic/biblical "war in heaven" frequently discussed at Wisdom Quarterly. Heaven, akasha deva loka, is space, the vast and boundless sky when we look up. Somewhere up there a starship or vimana looms. Below a people are dying because a dysfunctional police state government is fighting the rebel alliance. While all of that is going on up in space, down on Earth the world is celebrating Life Day, a transparent reference to Xmas, which no one in space celebrates. This holiday celebrating "peace and harmony" is undergirded by capitalism. Sell, sell, sell, and we'll buy whatever Lucas is selling, even this: [Looking for the plot to "The Force Awakens"? That's below. This is about the erstwhile holiday special.]
In a world where hundreds of TV channels and thousands of websites offer countless choices for entertainment, it’s becoming rare that one show or movie can stand out from the crowd to become a full-on, must-see event.
The latest space epic in the “Star Wars” series, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” has clearly managed to do that, with a near-constant presence in its own ads, hundreds of sometimes ridiculous product tie-ins, and an endless parade of media stories about every aspect of the film.
Relax, "The Force Awakens" is the third good Star Wars movie (Lucasfilm/laweekly.com)
The question that hundreds of millions of film buffs have pondered for months now is: Can it possibly live up to the hype? Or will it fail to deliver, like the disappointing 1999 prequel “The Phantom Menace”? And will the filmmakers respect viewers’ intelligence by steering clear of creating annoying characters like Jar Jar Binks?
I’m happy to report that “Awakens” does indeed deliver in spades, and without any stupid creatures dumbing things down.
Knowing that this latest adventure was put in the hands of one of Hollywood’s current top popcorn filmmaker, J.J. Abrams (who has also revived the “Mission: Impossible” and “Star Trek” franchises), there was plenty of reason to be excited from the very moment the famed John Williams score started to play.
The critic-heavy audience burst into applause with the Lucasfilm logo, the title appearance and the start of the explanatory scroll that brought viewers up to speed on the movie’s events.
That’s three rounds of applause in about two minutes, and the first actual image of the film hadn’t even been shown yet. So what’s the plot about?
The plot takes place well after the events of its predecessor in the storyline, “Return of the Jedi,” and has the brilliance to involve the three most popular characters of the original trilogy: Han Solo, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker, backed by an impressive trio of new characters. Luke has disappeared, as the evil Empire’s even more evil successor government known as the First Order is scouring the galaxy looking for him since he is the last of the Jedi warriors.
Meanwhile, Leia is now a general in the rebellion and has sent a brash fighter pilot named Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) to a planet called Jakku to find a map that would lead to Luke’s whereabouts. He finds it in holographic form, and in a nice homage to the very first “Star Wars” film, he places it into his robot sidekick, BB-8 and sends it off on its own to seek help when an army of Stormtroopers comes to capture the map.
The robot is discovered by a young woman named Rey (Daisy Ridley), whose existence as an orphan living in a desert landscape bears intriguing parallels to the origins of Luke Skywalker.
She at first tries to sell it off, but suddenly realizes that there’s something important about BB-8 and winds up having to run for safety and hide inside a spaceship that’s seemingly out of commission. It turns out to be the Millennium Falcon, which of course brings her into contact with the legendary Han Solo and Chewie, as that dynamic duo helps lead the adventurous quest to find Luke and once again save the galaxy from the forces of evil.
The PBS (Public Broadcasting Station) in Los Angeles, KCET, went under. But this broadcast is nevertheless available in Los Angeles from Orange County's KOCE. The station comes in great with an antenna on Channel 50.1; 50.2 and/or 50.4 also come in.
Trailer: "Bones of the Buddha" (PBS/National Geographic)
This documentary by award-winning filmmaker David Grubin, narrated by Richard Gere, tells the story of the Buddha's life, a journey relevant to our own bewildering times of violent change and spiritual confusion.
It features the work of some of the world's greatest artists and sculptors, who across two millenia, have depicted the Buddha's life in beautiful and complex art.
Gain insights into the ancient narrative by contemporary Buddhists, including Pulitzer Prize winning poet W.S. Merwin and the 14th Dalai Lama. Join the conversation and learn more about meditation, the history of Buddhism, and how to incorporate the Buddha's teachings on loving compassion and mindful wisdom into daily life.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who forestalled extradition to Sweden (then abduction to the US for torture and silencing) from the UK by asking for humanitarian asylum from Ecuador while residing safely in its London embassy, has been granted permission to remain in the embassy indefinitely.
The US/UK will not stand for it. Assange is wanted for questioning -- never having been charged -- by Sweden. But Sweden, in fact, does not want to question him about trumped up sexual offenses, for if it did it would come to England and conduct an interview. Instead, it is being pressured and guided by the US to get hold of the Australian citizen and then extradite him to America.
England is now contemplating the unthinkable: It is threatening to break into sovereign Ecuador's embassy, which like all embassies is regarded as Ecuadorian soil. Therefore, it claims to be planning an invasion.
Prosecuting Pfc. Bradley Manning contradicts every principle of whistle blower protection, freedom of the press, and free speech rights. If Manning is guilty then so are all people, papers, and other mainstream media outlets that have ever disseminated secret leaked information.
Violating Pakistan's sovereignty for PsyOps plan to pretend the real Osama was murdered
Similarly, if Assange is allowed to be silenced, disappeared, or indefinitely imprisoned in super-max facilities in the US, and entire organization is being silenced for whistle blowing. Manning, as a US soldier, had a personal legal responsibility to reveal American military crimes.
Assange as an Australian national was clearly within his rights to published leaked materials like an media outlet enabled by the worldwide Web. But because it revealed war crimes and plans of the only remaining superpower, it has not gone unpunished in contradiction to international law.
Will Americans stand silently by? Will we be complicit? (Germany was once a superpower, and precious few Germans spoke out when it counted. What will we do?)
The military says B.S. Obama did not kill Osama bin Laden; Americans did. I did not. Only those who applaud and approve of it did. SEAL Team 6 are not bragging about extrajudicially executing a man in long-dead Osama's place. Obama is bragging. Hillary Clinton is bragging. Joe Biden is bragging. Now the military is speaking out against its commander in chief even as he remains in office.
Intelligence and Special Operations forces are furious and frustrated at how Pres. Obama and those in positions of authority have exploited their service for political advantage.
Countless leaks, disclosures, interviews, and decisions by the Obama Administration and other officials have undermined the success of the Military-Industrial Complex's Intelligence and Special Operations forces and put future missions and personnel at risk.
Dishonorable disclosures are so serious that for the first time former operators have agreed to risk their reputations and go on the record in this special documentary.
Its goal is to educate Americans about serious breaches of security by the Obama Administration (largely ignoring those of the previous administration and its Valerie Plame outing) and prevent them from ever happening again. (Use of military ranks, titles, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement of the Dept. of the Army or the Department of [War]. All individuals are no longer in active service with any federal agency or military service).
CITY HALL, Los Angeles - The slogan "Make love not war" is something we have all heard. Peace activists believe it. Police, not so much.
So the message the Occupy Movement is sending to them is easy: "Screw us and we multiply."
Given the horrendous winds that blew through Los Angeles, had Police Chief Charlie Beck and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa let things resolve themselves, all the tents would be gone. And they would not look so bad in the prying eyes just behind the mainstream media facade of a picture perfect "peaceful" eviction.
Stories of abuse, excessive force, and brutality under color of law are emerging with Occupiers emerging from torturous experiences as illegally detained prisoners. The same illegal detention through excessive bail for a misdemeanor offense, which normally only gets a summons to appear and no bail, led to a successful class action suit in New York.
Those firsthand stories will reach the world tonight as the third post-encampment General Assembly gets underway at 7:30 pm, Friday night.
The pope, cardinals, and bishops -- looking like Tibetan lamas -- attend Pope Benedict XVI's Mass celebrated at the Lourdes shrine, southwestern France, Sunday, 9/14/08. More than 100,000 pilgrims singing hymns gathered on a rain-soaked field known as the Lourdes Prairie for the mass marking the 150th anniversary of a peasant girl's religious visions (AP Photo/Francois Mori). Above, Dalai Lama with Yellow Hat lamas arriving in France for opening of Lerab Ling monastery last month.
DHARAMSALA, India (Reuters, 9/12/08) -- The Dalai Lama has called a special meeting of Tibetan exiles in November or December to discuss political unrest in Tibet this year and the future of the Tibetan movement, officials said on Friday.
Karma Chophel, speaker of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile, told Reuters that officials would meet on Monday to discuss the details of the special session ordered by their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
The special meeting, the opening session of which would be addressed by the Dalai Lama, would be attended by Tibetan leaders, intellectuals and non-government organizations chosen by the Tibetan parliament-in-exile.
"We have to discuss who are the other people to be called," Chophel said. The meeting of Tibetans comes after months of anti-China protests across the world, sparked off by unrest in Tibet in March which was aggressively suppressed by China.
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Tibetan leader waves at the end of a teaching conference in Nantes, western France, 8/16/08 (Reuters/Stephane Mahe).
Beijing says followers of the Dalai Lama fomented riots and protests across the mountainous region in a bid to derail last month's Olympics Games. The Dalai Lama has rejected the charge. Envoys of the Dalai Lama and China met in July to defuse the crisis, the latest in several rounds of talks since 2002 that many Tibetans, especially younger generations, describe as a Chinese ploy to delay progress on the question of either independence or regional autonomy for Tibet.
The next round of those talks could be held as early as October, two Chinese sources with knowledge of the slow-moving dialogue, told Reuters last week. Many exiled Tibetans would like to go further than the conciliatory "middle way" approach of the Dalai Lama, who seeks autonomy. Tibetan officials said the meeting would see wide-ranging discussions about the future of the Tibetan movement.
"He will advise and he will give guidelines...he will put before the general body his ideas," Chophel said of the Dalai Lama.
Reporting by Abhishek Madhukar; writing by Krittivas Mukherjee; editing by Paul Tait
Meanwhile, the Christian pontiff was condemning Paganism:
Pope in Paris condemns love of money, power Jenny Barchfield (AP, 9/12/08)
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Pope waves from bulletproof pope-mobile, outdoor mass Paris near Eiffel Tower, 9/13/08. Tens of thousands turned out for his only public appearance before his pilgrimage to Lourdes (AP Photo/Alberto Pizzoli, pool).
PARIS -- Pope Benedict XVI condemned unbridled "pagan" passion for power, possessions, and money as a modern-day plague Saturday as he led more than a quarter of a million Catholics in an outdoor Mass in Paris.
Benedict was making his first visit as pontiff to the French capital, renowned for its luxury goods, fashion sense and cultural riches. "Has not our modern world created its own idols?" Benedict said in his homily, and wondered aloud whether people have "imitated, perhaps inadvertently, the pagans of antiquity?"
"This is a question that all people, if they are honest with themselves, cannot help but ask," the pontiff said. More>>
LOURDES, France -- People must cling to hope even in dire circumstances like injustice and torture, Pope Benedict XVI told the faithful at Sunday Mass in Lourdes, which has become a shrine for desperate causes and hope against all odds.
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