Save the Trees with Julia Butterfly Hill (7/8)

(The Shift Network) Julia in the Storm: Julia Butterfly Hill: Fear is simple and profound

Evening for the Trees with Julia Butterfly Hill

ABC 20/20: The Story of Julia Butterfly Hill in 3 minutes and 20 seconds

Julia Butterfly Hill . com

Internationally recognized environmental activist Julia Butterfly Hill travels to Pasadena to headline a public fundraiser supporting community efforts to preserve 193 trees slated for destruction and removal by the PUSD (Pasadena Unified School District).

Her appearance comes as the school district's tree-removal plans have drawn widespread public condemnation, concern, legal action, peaceful protests and demonstrations, and extensive regional media coverage.

• Pasadena’s plan to cut down nearly 200 trees angers residents | LAist
• Pasadena plan to remove old trees sparks fury | KCRW
• PUSD tree removal plan sparks outcry over transparency and environmental impact
• Teen spends hours in school oak marked for removal, mother pleads for tree preservation | Pasadena Now
• Why we're killing our trees. Removal & Restoration | PUSD

Despite weeks of advocacy, the school district has not yet committed to permanently preserving any of the remaining trees slated for destruction and removal.

Trees at San Rafael Elementary School, including mature and protected trees, were removed during bird nesting season without city tree permits or on-site biological monitoring.

• Pasadena Presbyterian Church
• 585 E. Colorado Blvd.
• Pasadena, Los Angeles, CA 91101
• Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 6:30-8:30 pm
• RSVP or DONATE: bit.ly/PUSDtrees

• Meetup RSVP: Dharma Buddhist Meditation
• PasaDharma: Los Angeles Foothills
• Nature Center, San Fernando Valley

To save trees is to save our planet

Pasadena is honored to welcome Julia Butterfly Hill. She is traveling here to support efforts to preserve the trees of the Pasadena Unified School District.

She is an internationally-recognized environmental advocate best known for her historic 738-day treehouse sit to protect an ancient, giant California redwood, an act of peaceful civil disobedience that inspired people around the world. ​

Join us for an evening hosted by the youth working to protect the PUSD trees.

• Julia Butterfly Hill will speak
• Local youth will perform music
• Artwork and tee-shirts will be available
• We'll hold a raffle
• This is a fundraiser for the trees
• Circle of Life Foundation: circleoflife.org

​Student tickets: $5 (with valid student ID at door)

Adult tickets: $25–$1,000 (pay what you can) ​

• VIDEO: Lessons from Julia Butterfly Hill (2012)
• Tree Hugger Julia Butterfly Hill saved Luna (2023)

Support the cause of saving trees

J Butterfly Hill (Young Heroes)

If not attending in person, it is possible to support this effort by making a donation.

​All proceeds directly support the community effort to preserve the Pasadena Unified School District's trees from destruction to remediate grounds.

Join us in standing together to protect these remarkable trees before more are lost. ​

• Earth First
• Trees Foundation
• Amigos De Los Rios (Altadena)
• The Jane Goodall Institute
• Jane Goodall Sprouts Club

(ABC 20/20) The Story of Julia Butterfly Hill

Visiting with Julia Butterfly Hill high atop and inside of Luna the Tree

Not time, accident, tragedy, nor finding true love has not stopped the dryad

Better Video Tutorials (Teaching New Stuff Daily): 1.envato.market/coderevolutio...

• Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven, Jen (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

The Sumerian Garden of Eden, Tree of Life

(The Enki Codex) Sumerian map that shows a green landmass where Antarctica is - and the civilization that lived there: Piri Reis map is real and undeniable proof we have been lied to

(Ancient Signal) Why the ancient Mesopotamian god Enlil (brother of Enki) banned the "Tree of Life": The Sumerian secret of our nervous system | History for Sleep

(Soulful Energy) 432 Hz + 741 Hz, fall into deep healing,

anxiety relief, melatonin release: stop overthinking

• Archons (parasites, farmers of "loosh")
• What in the world is "loosh," Robert Monroe?
• CSF: cerebrospinal fluid

Sun's solar maximum: coronal mass ejections

(Beyond the Obvious) The Sun is about to do something it hasn't done in 12,000 years

(Flash Discovery) Apollo astronaut finally admits the truth: why we stopped going to the Moon

The Buddhist way to give for Christmas

The Buddhist Way to Give at Christmas | No stress, just pure joy

(Buddha's Wisdom) Dec. 23, 2025: What if we could give at Christmas without stress, guilt, or keeping score?

• 🎁 CHRISTMAS DOESN'T HAVE TO FEEL HEAVY.
• DISCOVER HOW BUDDHIST WISDOM CAN TRANSFORM GIVING.

For 2,600+ years, Buddhists have practiced dāna (letting go, giving, sharing, generosity, charity), the art of generous giving that liberates both giver and receiver.

This ancient wisdom offers a profound alternative to the anxiety, obligation, and reciprocity calculations that often shadow modern Christmas giving.

Through Buddhist teachings, human psychology, and everyday Christmas moments, this video shows how giving without attachment changes not only the holiday season…but the mind/heart behind it.

📿 DISCOVER:

• The ancient practice of dāna and its three stages of joy (before, during, and after giving)
• Why expecting gratitude turns giving into stress
• Why the Buddha said the "gift of Dhamma [the Teaching, Doctrine, Dharma] surpasses all other gifts" and what this means for our Western pagan holiday we call Christmas (Christ's mass)
• The three moods of giving: reluctant, calculated, and free (and which one we're actually practicing)
• The hidden emotional contracts behind Christmas gifts
• How to give, and receive, without pressure, debt, or obligation

🙏 If this changes how you experience Christmas this year, subscribe to Buddha's Wisdom for weekly explorations of ancient practices that address modern life. The next video might be exactly what someone needs

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

• 00:00 Christmas magic meets Buddhist wisdom
• 01:19 The Christmas giving paradox
• 03:19 What is Dāna? The Buddhist art of generosity
• 06:13 The three moods of giving
• 11:01 How to practice dāna at Christmas
• 17:29 The ultimate Buddhist Christmas gift
• 19:30 The one gift experiment

📱 JOIN COMMUNITY: Instagram (buddhaswizdom), Facebook (buddhaswizdom), X (x.com/BuddhasWizdom), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/5ndnBU5...), TikTok (buddhas.wisdom). ☕ Support the channel: buymeacoffee.com/buddhaswisdom

#Buddhism, #Christmas, #BuddhistWisdom, #Dāna, #MindfulGiving, #StressFreeChristmas, #BuddhistTeachings, #Generosity, #SpiritualWisdom, #christmasgiving #Mindfulness #NonAttachment #HolidayStress #InnerPeace

📚 SOURCES AND FURTHER READING:

PRIMARY TEXTS:

• The Dhammapada (verse on the gift of Dhamma)
• Early Buddhist texts in the Pāli canon (teachings on dāna and generosity)
• Accounts of Anāthapiṇḍika's generosity (Vinaya Piṭaka)
• The Buddha's final teaching (Mahāparinibbāna Sutta)

SCHOLARLY CONTEXT:

"Dāna: The Practice of Giving" - Selected Essays from Early Buddhist Texts

"Generosity in Early Buddhism" - Bhikkhu Bodhi's translations and commentaries

"Buddhist Ethics" - Damien Keown (Oxford University Press)

MODERN APPLICATIONS: Studies on mindful giving and psychological wellbeing

Research on gratitude practices and stress reduction

Comparative religious studies: Generosity across traditions

© Buddha's Wisdom - Making ancient wisdom accessible for modern life.

• Buddha's Wisdom (YouTube), Dec. 23, 2025; Ashley Wells, Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Sheldon S., Crystal Quintero, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

New oldest tree in the world found in Chile

Why do things grow so big and healthy along the Pacific Ocean high in California?

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There's prana energy coming up from trees.

There used to be a time when Buddhism had the oldest tree in the world, the Buddha's Bodhi (Enlightenment) tree, a pipal or sacred fig (Ficus religiosa), which is still the oldest documented and attested tree in the historical record.

• It may seem a coincidence that the historical Buddha had an "enlightenment tree," but in fact all samma-sam-buddhas ("supremely awakened ones") do. The Buddha spoke of buddhas of the distant past, naming their chief disciples and other features, including the type of tree they awakened under.

• 

  Finding the Mother Tree

  This hints at just how important trees are. Save forests, save earth!

But a California bristlecone pine dubbed Methuselah took the crone for being far old, as proved by rings. Such trees do not even look alive, but are beaten down, shriveled, with gnarled bark and a few green sprouts that show they do yet live.

In a grove of ancients, the oldest among them was recognized.

This may or may not be her, Methuselah Pine.

California has it all -- the world's tallest tree (hidden in Northern California in dense underbrush, kept secret to avoid visitors who might damage it unintentionally, although the secret is out and maps to it exist). And there's the world's largest tree, the photogenic "General Sherman" in the Gove of Giants (or is that the Grove of Titans?), Sequoia National Park on the Pacific Coast near Yosemite National Park, which also has a grove of massive California redwoods.

The giant sequoia is the world's largest tree, and there are many such enormous redwoods.

Thank you, Bodhi Tree

So the oldest completed the trifecta, on the road to Sequoia Nat'l Park and Yosemite from Los Angeles, near the fork in the road -- along the California Alps (Sierra Madre range visible from the 395 Freeway) -- where one can turn right and plunge into Death Valley and Nevada beyond that.

Now the world will focus on Chile (until the next discovery in Tartary, the Tartarian Empire, or the realization that there are no trees left in the world because the ancient trees, made of silica rather than carbon, were cut down and are now mesas, flattened mountains clearly visible from helicopters).

In the distant past, "trees" were gigantic and made of silica

It's not just one giant tree. There are many massive stumps

Old California "trees" are cacti? (Joshua trees)

Of course, that's too mind blowing to even mention, so scratch that from memory, and let's go to Jeremiah Budin, who is not a Buddhist so far as we know, in the Latin South American country of Chile.

Though trees across the globe are under threat from the corporate logging and agriculture industries and the chaotic changing climate, one tree in Alerce Costero National Park in Chile (western South America, the real Down Under, the world's southernmost country) is believed to have survived for more than 5,000 years — and experts say it is the oldest living tree in the world.

The tree, known as Gran Abuelo (“Great Grandfather”), is believed to be even older than the currently recognized oldest tree in the world, California’s 4,850-year-old Methuselah Pine.

The newest oldest tree in the world

This is the Gran Abuelo ("Great Grandfather"), the oldest tree in the world known to science.

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Why did Siddhartha sit under a tree? To meditate

Scientists are in the process of measuring the tree’s age in an effort to get it officially recognized as the world’s oldest. “It’s a survivor; there are no others that have had the opportunity to live so long,” said Antonio Lara, one of the scientists working on determining the tree’s age.

Gran Abuelo, a Patagonian cypress (Fitzroya cupressoides) was discovered by a park ranger in 1972. [And luckily it had its birth certificate stapled to it in protective plastic? How did the ranger know? Was it psychic intuition? Did the tree spirits talk like in that famous Buddhist tree story?]

Buddha Boy, when out of jail, should sit here

Though its exact location was initially kept secret to protect the tree (as is still the case with the Methuselah Pine), tourists are now allowed to trek about an hour through the forest to take pictures alongside it.

Chile’s National Parks Service has increased the number of park rangers on patrol to make sure the tree is kept from harm. More: Scientists make stunning discovery in remote forest: ‘There are no others that have had the opportunity to live so long’

• BATimes.com | Latin America | World's oldest tree able to reveal planet's secrets
• Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest (Suzanne Simard)
• Scientists discovered two 11,500-year-old skeletons and unlocked ancient secrets about DNA
• The Cool Down (via MSN.com and BATimes.com); Crystal Quintero, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Miss Hawaii crowned Miss USA today

Discover What Makes You Feel Beautiful | Empowering Women (wmyfb.org)

Noelia Voight cried when she was crowned the most beautiful in competition in 2023.

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Miss USA Noelia Voight was silenced and quit.

Today (Wednesday, May 15, 2024), Miss Hawaii Savannah Gankiewicz was crowned the new Miss USA.

Gankiewicz took over as beauty queen after former Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt announced she was resigning on May 6, 2024.

Gankiewicz is a model and entrepreneur, and she is opening a boutique hotel in Bali in 2025.

Noelia Voigt was crowned Miss USA in Sept. 2023 in a moment full of celebratory tears and confetti, but on May 6, Voigt stepped down, citing [that she was being silenced, which is being called an issue of] her mental health and spearheading a slew of high-profile resignations within the Miss USA organization.

On May 9, the organization announced Miss Hawaii Savannah Gankiewicz will be taking over as Miss USA for the remainder of Voigt's tenure.

Miss USA Savannah G.

Gankiewicz, 28, will be crowned in a ceremony in Hawaii on today, marking the official start of her reign.

• Gankiewicz was the first runner-up in the 2023 Miss USA pageant, and she won the costume contest.
• Gankiewicz competed in the Miss USA pageant after being crowned Miss Hawaii in January 2023.
• She was first runner-up in the competition, coming in just behind Voigt.
• She also won best interview in the pageant and best costume in the state costume contest.
• Beauty Queen Voight quits her 'Miss USA' crown

Banyan Tree Girl

Savannah "Banyan Tree Girl" Gankiewicz of Hawaii (© courtesy of Miss USA).

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I am a burning hot Maui banyan tree.

For her costume, Gankiewicz wore a sparkly jumpsuit to honor a 150-year-old banyan tree that was burned during last year's [very suspicious] Maui wildfires.

A headpiece covered in greenery attached to the ensemble, and swaths of yellow fabric and handpieces designed to look like flames made her look like moving fire.

"This experience has enabled me to have a newfound appreciation and respect for the competition, as I've firsthand been through a transformative journey and experienced amazing growth," Gankiewicz wrote on Instagram of her experience in the pageant.

"I cannot wait to embark on my next journey as I close this chapter."

The Miss Hawaii winner took over as Miss USA after Noelia Voigt resigned as queen

Voigt announced her resignation via Instagram [where she encoded her message "I AM SILENCED"], pointing to her [cover story of] mental health as the reason she was stepping back.

• Meet Miss USA: Noelia Voigt will compete at Miss Universe on Saturday.
• Voigt, who began competing in pageants at 16, won Miss USA while representing Utah.
• The new Miss Universe will be crowned by R'Bonney Gabriel, the ninth American to win the pageant.
• Voigt, 24, is a seasoned pageant queen who began competing when she was 16. But her road to Miss USA wasn't an easy one. Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt had hopes of becoming the 10th American woman to win Miss Universe.

More: Meet Miss Hawaii Savannah Gankiewicz, crowned Miss USA following Noelia Voigt's resignation (Business Insider via MSN)

• We didn't know these 20 facts about early human life
• Business Insider via MSN.com, May 15, 2024; Crystal Q., Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

A very Krampus Kristmas: Dark Euro History

Bailey Sarian, Dec. 22, 2022; Pat Macpherson (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

A very Krampus Christmas: The Dark Spirits of Christmas Past | Dark History

European Xmas madness

(Bailey Sarian) ✨ Dark History ✨ Friends, happy day! Welcome to the Dark History podcast. Is there anything as cozy as a Christmas tree? When one looks at it, what does one think? Family, holidays, presents, hot cocoa, singing carols, good times, and so on. But ever look at a Christmas tree and think about a chopped off d*ngle? It turns out we should. In today’s episode we get into the dark history of four of our favorite holiday traditions: Christmas trees, gingerbread, Christmas cards, and Krampus.

Trust me when I tell you, some of this information really jingled my bells. I appreciate everyone for coming by. Tune in next week for more Dark History. Want some cool Bailey merch? Shop Season 2 Dark History merch: www.baileysarian.com

Find the Dark History Podcast on Apple, Spotify, wherever one listens to podcasts, and every Thursday on YouTube for the visual side of things.

Dollar Stores: Last Week Tonight w/John Oliver

(LastWeekTonight) Nov. 20, 2023: John Oliver discusses Dollar stores and why Irish Spring is not his bar soap of choice. Connect with Last Week Tonight online... Subscribe to the Last Week Tonight YouTube channel for more almost news as it almost happens: youtube.com/lastweektonight. Find on Facebook like your mom would: facebook.com/lastweektonight. Follow on Twitter for news about jokes and jokes about news: twitter.com/lastweektonight.

COMMENTS

(@highstimulation2497) This isn't surprising. Owning a company, paying almost nothing to the people who actually do the work, and making billions while they suffer seems to be the entire goal of our whole country. 

(@benfiorwolf4446) That that lady knew exactly how to pronounce ‘filet mignon’ & ‘escargot’ then pointed out people like her have to eat ‘Raymun noodles’ is absolutely my favorite thing for today. 😂

(@unstablefusion3) I worked at Walmart for a while, and a few of my coworkers described working at Dollar General as a torture chamber. They say that WHILE working at Walmart.

(@zeobide274) The man in the suit snapping his fingers and telling the volunteer to hurry up is the most realistic thing about corporations I've ever seen. 😂😂😂😂

(@sibzmauler5429) I worked at a Dollar Tree back in college so that I had money for food (God forbid I needed the job for more), and I was robbed with a knife to my back a week before graduation. The most I got was a phone call from my district manager asking if I was ok, and I still had to finish my shift that night. I have so much sympathy for the people that need those jobs. I normally was one of two or three people that covered an entire store for a shift. It was hell.

Trees have a "heartbeat," scientific study finds

Sean Cate, The Premier Daily; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Researchers discover that trees have a "heartbeat," it's just so slow we've never noticed before.
Beautiful young woman hugs a tree, enjoying nature and smiling (free stock by videvo.net)

Trees hold a special place in our hearts, as they possess a longevity that surpasses most other creatures.

These remarkable organisms can live for thousands upon thousands of years. In fact, the oldest recorded tree boasted an incredible age of over 5,000 years!

Its roots reached back to a time when Rome stood at the peak of its glory -- an inspiring testament to the longevity of trees, making them some of the oldest living beings on our planet.

We acknowledge that trees are alive, for they harness energy to sustain their existence [and ours]. Though they lack the organs found in mammals like us, trees possess their own unique set of structures that enable their survival.

But being alive, do they possess a heartbeat?

Mystery of the Heartbeat

While trees do not possess a heart in the same way humans do, the idea of them having their own rhythm and pulsation is not as far-fetched as it might seem.

A recent study conducted by András Zlinszky, Bence Molnár, and Anders S. Barfod from Hungary and Denmark has shed light on an extraordinary aspect of trees: They possess a special type of pulsation akin to a heartbeat. More

• Tree huggers rejoice! (iStock photos, royalty-free images)

Zen story: What if I don't get all I want?

This is what happens when we only WANT/CRAVE in life: a Zen story

(Dare to do. Motivation) June 5, 2023. This is a beautiful short story by the Zen owl Nisshitsu. What if we become like [the Western character spoken of by Nathaniel Hawthorne in] Young Goodman Brown?

Listen to your heart. Be happy. Persist [don't give up]. Have faith/confidence [always believe]! Leave a like and a comment and tell the creator what you think. Stay blessed.

• The Power of the Universe Playlist
• Samurai Stories Playlist: • Ryokan - Heaven O...
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• e-Book: amazon, amazon.in
• Support: paypal.me/daretodomotivation

Hello, everybody. I write (script) and speak (narrate) most of the speeches myself. So if you need material or want to collaborate, feel free to contact me: kori.sarian@hotmail.com

• Speaker: Dare to do.MOTIVATION @daretodomotivation
• Music Search: artlist, videoblocks

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. Non-profit, educational, or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

1) This video has no negative impact on the original works. (It could 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.

DARE to do. MOTIVATION does not own the rights to these video clips. 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: kori.sarian@hotmail.com

Orchid facts. A flower from heaven (sutra)

Mediafeed; Hellmuth Hecker; Kelly Ani, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Vanilla seed pods -- a flavor miracle -- come from Mexico and Guatemala (msn.com).

.

Things most don’t know about orchids

Flowers of Happiness Will Bloom

Anyone who’s ever cared for orchids knows that they’re pretty special.

From their practically microscopic seeds, to their tasty seed pods, to their worldwide range, these flowering beauties are nothing short of amazing.

They seem more of a celestial item -- like the mandarava (flame tree, coral tree, erythrina) bloom in Buddhist texts (e.g., Maha Kassapa: Father of the Sangha) -- than a terrestrial one. Here are a few things most probably didn’t know about them:

1. They are the largest family of flowering plants

By some estimates, Orchidacea is the largest family of flowering plants, with at least 25,000 to 30,000 species — not including the 100,000 hybrids and cultivars created by horticulturalists that aren’t naturally occurring. Of all flowering plant species on Earth, orchids make up about 10%. More

• [What about the 32,000 species of Asteraceae?]
• New flower species found in Japan: glass orchid
• Orchid Facts | Symbol | Petal Talk (1800flowers)

After the Buddha's passing: A flower from heaven

Hellmuth Hecker, Maha Kassapa: Father of the Sangha, Chp. 8 (DN 16), revised and enlarged translation from German by Nyanaponika Thera (edited by Wisdom Quarterly)

Devas and human beings loved to give the Buddha the gift of fragrant flowers.

Wildflowers are neon signs doing everything they can to attract pollinators like bees.

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Maha Kassap meets an ajivika naked ascetic

One of the Buddha's main disciples, Maha Kassapa, played a leading role in the Monastic Community (Sangha) after the Buddha passed. Only two of the five most prominent disciples were present, the brothers Ananda and Anuruddha. Sariputta and Maha Moggallana had already passed into bliss.

Maha Kassapa, with a large company of wandering ascetics, was traveling on the main road from Pava to Kusinara to see the Buddha. He veered and sat down under a tree to rest. Just then a naked ascetic passed by with a mandarava flower in his hand, which is said to grow only in a celestial (deva) world.

When Maha Kassapa saw it, he knew something unusual must have happened for such a flower to be found on earth.

He asked the naked ascetic whether he had heard any news about the Buddha, and the naked ascetic affirmed that he had, saying: "The recluse Gautama passed into nirvana a week ago. I picked up this mandarava flower from the place of cremation."

It looks like a celestial flower from the deva realm, the flame tree (Erythrina sandwicensis)

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I'm not "naked." I'm a "sky-clad" sadhu.

Among the monastics who heard the news, only those who were arhats [fully enlightened] like Maha Kassapa could remain calm, cool, and collected.

The others who were not yet liberated from the passions and defilements lamented and wept: "Too soon has the Blessed One passed into nirvana! Too soon has the Eye of the World vanished from our sight!"

Flame tree flamboyant (Tropical Plantae)

There was one [crochety] monk named Subhadda who had ordained in his old age. He addressed the others: "Enough, friends! Do not grieve! Do not lament! We are well rid of that Great Ascetic. We have been troubled by his telling us, 'This is befitting, that is not befitting.' Now we can do what we like, and we won't have to do what we do not like!"

[This led Maha Kassapa to realize the need for a great Buddhist council to formalize the Teachings (Dharma) of the Buddha. In that sense, Maha Kassapa became the founder of "Buddhism," taking what he had learned from the Buddha, what he knew about monasticism, society, and Brahmins to give us a new -ism. Prior to that Buddhism was not a religion but a path of practice to enlightenment. It was soon to become a formal structure.]

Until then it had not been possible to set the funeral pyre alight as the devas [celestial "shining ones"] present wanted to wait until Venerable Maha Kassapa came and paid his respects to the remains of the Buddha. When he arrived at the place of cremation, he reverently walked twice around the pyre with clasped hands then, with bowed head, paid his respects at the feet of the Tathagata (the Buddha).

Relics (sarira) are an arhat's cremation remains.

When his company of monastics did likewise, the pyre, it is said, burst into flames by itself. Hardly had the bodily remains of the Tathagata been cremated when there arose a conflict about the distribution of the relics (sarira) among the laypeople assembled and those who had sent messengers later.

The distribution was settled by the Brahmin Dona, who divided the relics into eight portions and distributed them among. He took the vessel in which the relics had been.

There's a reserve in Los Angeles County for spring wildflowers (weather.com)

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Maha Kassapa brought his share of the relics to the current king of Magadha, Ajatasattu. Having done so, he turned his thoughts to the preservation of the Buddha's spiritual heritage, the Teachings (Dharma) and the Disciplinary Code (Vinaya).

The necessity to do so was demonstrated to him by Subhadda's challenge of the discipline, advocating moral laxity. Maha Kassapa took this as a warning. If that attitude were to spread, it would lead to the decline and ruin of both the Monastic Community and the Teaching.

To prevent this, Maha Kassapa proposed holding a council by which the Dharma and Discipline could be reliably established and secured. He turned to the monastics gathered at Rajagaha (modern Rajgir, India). They agreed and at their request Maha Kassapa selected 500 [lit. "a large number" not actually 500] members, all but one of whom were fully enlightened (arhats). More

• Madelaine Böhme, the paleontologist who challenged long-held tenets about the cradle of humanity
• Missing Link: The remains of Noah’s Ark may have finally been discovered
• Scientists "discover" continent that had been missing for 375 years