The Life of Sariputra, the wisest monk

(Buddhist Insights Journey) The entire Buddhist story of Sariputta (Buddhism documentary)

• The Buddha's wisest male monastic disciple Ven. Śāriputra (the equivalent of the Buddha's wisest female monastic disciple, Ven. Khema)
• The Life of Sariputta (Ven. Nyanatiloka)
• The Story of Venerable Sariputta (dhammausa.com)

Soma and 5-MeO-DMT with Indian yogis

Did soma (elixir containing a secret psychedelic mushroom or plant) give rise to "Hinduism"?

(dakota 2 earth) I gave [Indian wandering ascetic shaman] Aghori Yogis sapo (bufo), 5-MeO-DMT. They laughed at it, not rejecting the mind-expanding experience but seemingly accustomed to it by their own sadhana or daily spiritual practices.

• Hinduism (aka Sanātana Dharma)

Hinduism's secret mushroom theory

(dakota of earth) July 10, 2025: INDIA: The information presented here is purely for historical and cultural exploration and should not be interpreted as encouragement or promotion of any substance use. Some content may be sensitive or challenging to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised!

DISCLAIMER: This educational documentary investigates a theory about the entheogenic origins of Hinduism [what the British dubbed Indus-ism to describe all the varied practices and belief around the Indus River Valley, melding them all under one rubric when they never saw themselves as "religions" or anything apart from regular life].

LINKS: dakotaofearth / dakotawint http://www.kick.com/earthie In this documentary, I travel across India exploring temple carvings, sacred rituals, and hidden clues that point toward a secret mushroom cult at the roots of Hinduism. Is it possible that psychedelic mushrooms were the true Soma of the Rig Veda? Join me as I uncover evidence, interview scholars, and search sacred sites to reveal a story that’s been hiding in plain sight. ➤ Subscribe for more documentaries on spirituality, ancient history, and hidden truths. Watch the full story and decide.

How to eat trash in LA/San Francisco

Why are you wandering in the woods, Ascetic?

There is a good life, that of a nomadic hippie -- free as the wind (no savings), enjoying free love, doing whatever one wishes whenever one wishes, feeling good, dropping chemical-assistance anytime (haunted by addiction). That may have been true in the 1960s and 1970s; it is less true now. There's a superficially similar but much better life, that of wandering ascetics like the Buddha, Mahavira, and others in the sramana movement. What is the difference? Underlying motive. Both may be spiritual seekers, but only one is likely to make any progress. Why? Vice and drugs make one possible, whereas the other relies on virtue and restraint.

• 

  Hungry Ghosts (Dr. Gabor Maté)

  The word śramaṇa is pronounced /shra-ma-na/ like the English word shaman, a wandering aiming for spiritual development through simplicity, voluntary poverty (relinquishing everything), and often penances or austerities in the misguided attempt to subdue "sin" and evil and develop virtue and self-restraint. Of the many schools and teachers at the time of the Buddha that rebelled against the devotional functions of temple priests (brahmanas), only three seem to have survived to today, Buddhism, Jainism, and wandering yogi sadhus.

Trash recipes

Assortment of dumpster diving finds (wiki)

If one is going to eat "trash," and we do not recommend it, put drugs and drug paraphernalia away, put down the phone, tell pimp or madame you will call them later, and dive into a dumpster, preferably in a group with someone holding a flashlight. Panhandling is a better option, as is eating things growing naturally from trees as well as wild edible plants from the park or other public places. There are always also charitable organizations offering food. But all those sources having failed (and people will usually give food even if they refuse to give change), pick clean greens. Avoid all meat and dairy. Give everything the sniff test. Keep any food found in cool place, which should be easy in SF because it's usually cold at night. Boil over burning dumpster fire or one of those hobo oil barrels. Do not boil a shoe or old boot as that provides no nutrition and is likely to have toxic industrial products, plastics, dyes, and dioxin. Ask a John or Jane to cook or to offer food. Stand by the exit of a restaurant and ask for leavings before customers trash them. Seek public social services. Get a side job at a restaurant that doesn't mind employees eating extras. Finally, pretend you're in lockup, jail, or prison and consider all the jailhouse delicacies crafty and creative inmates dream up. By the addition of crumbled potato chips (which are full of deadly acrylamides in the best of circumstances) seems to make anything palatable. Avoid sugar (particularly high fructose corn syrup) and glutens (wheat, barley, rye, oats, and buckwheat, all of which have very harmful plant lichens that destroy the gut lining and lead to deficiencies, according to Dr. Joel Wallach). 

A better way to be a nomad: wandering asceticism

The śramaṇas [a] are people who labor, toil, or exert themselves for some higher or religious [spiritual] purpose [1, 2], a "seeker, or ascetic, one who performs acts of austerity [tapas]" [3, 4, 5, 6].

Looking down on UC Berkeley and SF

The śramaṇa tradition includes primarily Jainism [7], Buddhism [8], and others such as the Ājīvika [9, 10].

The śramaṇa religions became popular in the circles of alms-gathering mendicants from greater Magadha (the adopted home of the Buddha) that led to the development of spiritual practices [11], as well as the popular concepts in all major Indian religions such as saṃsāra (the endless cycle of rebirth and suffering) and moksha (liberation from that cycle) [12, Note 1].

SF is very liberal and full of compassion

The Śramaṇic traditions have a diverse range of beliefs, ranging from accepting or denying the concept of an eternal soul, fatalism (that all things are preordained) to free will, idealization of extreme asceticism (penance) to that of family life, renunciation, strict ahimsa (non-violence), and vegetarianism to permissibility of violence and meat-eating [13, 14]. More

Rainbow: "Lost in Hollywood"

What about Hollywood/Los Angeles?

Los Angeles’s collapsing streets: a city in crisis as the homeless take over block by block

Los Angeles’s collapsing streets: a city in crisis as the homeless take over block by block

(Discovery Globe - Life Documentary) Aug. 2, 2025: HOA KỲ. In this urgent street documentary, let's explore the reality behind the headlines as Los Angeles homeless communities grow larger, block by block.

Glittering Hollywood: The Home of Dreams

Once known for ambition, sunshine, and opportunity, L.A. (aka Tinsel Town) is now recognized as a city in crisis, where LA's collapsing streets reflect deeper problems beneath the surface.

What was once temporary has become "structural" (systemic, a permanent problem)—an unfolding homeless crisis USA in one of America’s most iconic cities.

Captured throughout LA at night, this footage reveals a hidden world shaped by urban decay, growing encampments, and the visible homeless takeover of sidewalks, parks, and business zones.

With each passing week, more areas fall into block by block takeover, changing how the city looks, feels, and functions.

As poverty in LA surges and public service systems strain, the reality of LA's decline becomes harder to ignore. The rise of LA's tent cities in every direction—from Skid Row to Venice Beach—signals a long-brewing social collapse of California now erupting in plain sight.

These changes aren’t isolated; they form part of the broader seedy side of America, where prosperity and suffering share the same streets.

The crime in LA increases alongside the growing instability. As emergency services struggle to respond, parts of the city are left with little protection or support. In many places, urban decay LA defines the new normal, where infrastructure breaks down and basic needs go unmet.

Through real interviews and firsthand footage, we trace how the LA homeless population adapts, survives, and expands amid the chaos.

This street documentary does not seek blame—but rather seeks understanding. From the fall of LA's collapsing streets to the expanding takeover, the footage examines how long-standing economic gaps, housing shortages, and social fragmentation have fueled the homeless crisis now overtaking the West Coast’s largest metro area.

By highlighting the interconnected issues of poverty in LA (and California's second city, San Francisco), the social collapse of California, and the USA's decline, this documentary invites reflection on what the future holds—not only for LA, but for urban centers on the edge.

The images of LA at night tell a deeper story—one of resilience, desperation, and the urgent need for systemic response.

📌 Please note: Thumbnails are crafted to capture attention and spark curiosity. They are designed creatively and may not always represent the video’s full content. We appreciate understanding and hope viewers enjoy what we’ve put together. This video is intended to provide insights for educational and informational purposes only. The content draws from a variety of sources—news articles, forums, social media posts, and public commentary—and aims to present a range of perspectives. While we make every effort to ensure reliability, this is not an official or definitive source. We encourage viewers to cross-check facts, explore multiple viewpoints, and remain thoughtful and discerning when engaging with online content.

📌 This video does not aim to attack or judge any person, group, or country. Instead, our goal is to foster meaningful reflection and learn from the complexities of real-world events. #homeless #homelesscrisis #homelessness #losangeles #california

• Discovery Globe - Live Documentary; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

No car needed to get to or out of LAX

40 Inspiring Travel Quotes (Castles & Carpools)

It used to be that as a world traveler, no matter how cheap the flight, how inexpensive the lodging, how tasty and trivial the fee for nutritious far was, they'd get you at the airport. The redeye into Los Angeles was a giveaway, but the taxi fare from LAX to the part of town where anyone other than travelers were was more expensive. The same for New York, Boston, and the major hubs. Even toting a copy of the trusty Lonely Planet, it was hard to get a straight answer on how to get out from under the planes for cheap. It could be found. It did exist. But nobody knew about it, and no one was telling anyone, and no one knew where to ask or get answers. Pressing, there was always a way, even from LAX. But the limousine bus, hotels, and taxi companies all conspired to keep it secret. It used to be that to get out of LAX, one had to find a free bus out of the octopus of busy streets and to a station. From there, one could cheaply (for pennies) get to downtown and from there anywhere else. It was never necessary to get a ride to the airport to fly out or to get picked up when coming in. It was a nice luxury, however imposing it was on the relationship (revealing who was a dependable friend or family member). But now it's easy. Starting today it is clear to anyone, and Uber and Lyft must be nonplussed. How did the Yellow Cab Company keep the scheme going for so long? Now there's a new station and a clear and easy way to get out of and back to LAX, Los Angeles International. Let this be a message to all shoestring travelers with big backpacks on their way to Asia or Europe: there is always a way out of the airport and into town without getting rolled by a taxi or tuktuk driver/company. See Lonely Planet | Travel Guides & Travel Information or wait at the airport until morning and ask the concierge. It's as if someone has told them not to tell anyone, but they will if pressed. There's always a way out, even if it means walking out of the airport to another battalion on independent taxis who do not want to pay and pass on airport fees.

Travel, who needs it?

“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”

—Maya Angelou

“Experience, travel – these are as education in themselves.

—Euripides

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.”

—Jawaharlal Nehru

“It is probably a pity that every citizen of each state cannot visit all the others, to see the differences, to learn what we have in common, and come back with a richer, fuller understanding of America – in all its beauty, in all its dignity, in all its strength, in support of moral principles.”

—Dwight D. Eisenhower

“A great way to learn about your country is to leave it.”

—Henry Rollins

“What you’ve done becomes the judge of what you’re going to do – especially in other people’s minds. When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.”

—William Least Heat Moon

“We travel not to escape life but for life not to escape us.”

—Anonymous

“I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.”

—Mary Anne Radmacher

• KTLA.com; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly, Castles & Carpools; Lonely Planet

Hidden Buddhist monasteries of Mongolia

The hidden monasteries of Mongolia: How Buddhism shaped Mongolia’s nomadic soul | SLICE

(SLICE) In the heart of Central Asia, Mongolia’s vast, untouched landscapes have shaped a unique form of Buddhism, where spirituality and nature exist in perfect harmony.

Introduced in the 16th century, Buddhism spread across the endless steppes, carried by merchant caravans alongside silk and spices. Monasteries rose like mirages in the wilderness, blending seamlessly with the land’s raw power.

Through centuries of resilience, Mongolian Buddhism has evolved, influenced by Tibetan traditions yet deeply rooted in nomadic life.

• Buddhism in Mongolia

From sacred rituals to the revival of monasteries after Soviet repression, this is the story of a faith (saddha) that has withstood time, exile, and change.

Documentary: Sacred Spaces – Asian temples. Humans, Nature, and Gods. Directed by: Véronique Legendre. Production: ZED, ARTE FRANCE, CuriosityStream. SLICE fully owns the rights to the use of the published content. Any illegal reproduction of this content will result in immediate legal action. SLICE wants to fill up viewers' curiosity! Accessible to anyone from anywhere at any time, this channel is a weekly dose of short docs about curious facts, discoveries, astounding info, unusual stories, weird, fun, and instructive. Be smart, have a slice! Subscribe now ► @slicedocumentary Become a fan: @slicedocumentary. Follow: 👇 In French: slicefr. Facebook: slicedocs. Instagram: slicedocs. #documentary #slice #fulldocumentary #freedocumentary #mongolia #buddha #buddhism #history #religion #sacred #temple #amazing #spirituality #spiritual #monl #prayer #pray

• SLICE, Feb. 13, 2025; CC Liu, Crystal Q., Sheldon S. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

I'd better sit while in the human world

Even Araka knew that much.

"Meditators, once upon a time there was a teacher named Araka [the Bodhisatta himself], a leader free of passion for sensual pleasures.

"He had hundreds, many hundreds, of students, and he taught them the dhamma (truth) in this way: 'Next to nothing, Brahmins, is the life of human beings -- limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering.

"'One ought to touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just as a dewdrop on the tip of a blade of grass quickly vanishes with the rising of the sun and does not remain, in the same way, Brahmins, the life of human beings is like a dewdrop -- limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering.

"'One ought to touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just as when the rain-gods (akasha-devas) send rain in fat drops that plop, leaving a bubble on the water that quickly vanishes and does not remain, in the same way, Brahmins, the life of human beings is like a water bubble -- limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering.

"'One ought to touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just like a line drawn on water with a stick quickly vanishes and does not remain, in the same way, Brahmins, the life of human beings is like a line drawn on water with a stick -- limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering.

"'One ought to touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just as a river flowing down from the mountains, going far, swiftly carrying everything with it so that there is not a moment, not a second, not an instant when it stands still, but instead it goes, flows, and rushes, in the same way, Brahmins, the life of human beings is like a river flowing down from the mountains -- limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering.

"'One ought to touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just as a strongman forming a wad of spit on the tip of his tongue would spit it out with very little effort, in the same way, Brahmins, the life of human beings is like a wad of spit — limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering.

"'One ought to touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just as a sliver of meat dropped onto an iron skillet that has been heated all day quickly vanishes and does not remain, in the same way, Brahmins, the life of human beings is like a sliver of meat -- limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering.

"'One ought to touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just as a cow on its way to slaughter is led to the abattoir, with every step of its foot closer to slaughter, closer to death, in the same way, Brahmins, the life of human beings is like a cow being led to slaughter — limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering.

"'One should touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.'

Reflection

"Now at that time, meditators, the human lifespan was 60,000 years, with girls marriageable at 500 [figuratively, a big number, not actually 500]. And at that time there were [only] six afflictions in this world:

1. cold,
2. heat,
3. hunger,
4. thirst,
5. defecation,
6. urination.

"Yet, even though people were so long-lived, long-lasting, with so few afflictions, that teacher Araka taught the dhamma to his disciples in this way:

"'Next to nothing, Brahmins, is the life of human beings -- limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering. One ought to touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.'

"At present, meditators, one speaking rightly could say, 'Next to nothing is the life of human beings -- limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering. One should touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.'

"At present, meditators, one who lives a long time is 100 years old or a little older. Living 100 years, one lives for 300 seasons: 100 seasons of cold, 100 seasons of heat, 100 seasons of rain.

"Living for 300 seasons, one lives for 1,200 months: 400 months of cold, 400 months of heat, 400 months of rain.

"Living for 1,200 months, one lives for 2,400 fortnights [two-week periods]: 800 fortnights of cold, 800 fortnights of heat, 800 fortnights of rain.

"Living for 2,400 fortnights, one lives for 36,000 days: 12,000 days of cold, 12,000 days of heat, 12,000 days of rain.

"Living for 36,000 days, one eats 72,000 meals [or many more]: 24,000 meals in the cold, 24,000 meals in the heat, 24,000 meals in the rain -- counting the taking of mother's milk and any obstacles to eating.

"These are the obstacles to eating: when one does not eat while angered, when one does not eat while suffering or stressed, when one does not eat while sick, when one does not eat on the observance [1] day, when one does not eat while poor.

"Therefore, meditators, I have counted the life of a person living for 100 years: I have counted the lifespan, counted the seasons, counted the years [2], counted the months, counted the fortnights, counted the nights, counted the days, counted the meals, counted the obstacles to eating.

"Whatever a teacher should do -- seeking the welfare of students, out of sympathy for them -- that have I done for you.

"There are the roots of trees; there are places to withdraw [to practice]. Practice the absorptions (jhanas), meditators. Be vigilant (not negligent). Be happy, not full of regret. This is the message."

NOTES

1. 1. The weekly lunar observance of the Eight Precepts, Uposatha, Fasting Day, when one fasts after noon to intensively listen, read, study, and practice the Dhamma for a whole day and into the night.
2. The actual counting does not mention years between seasons and months; the number of years is implied in the lifespan.

• See also: MN 54; AN 6.19-20; Sn 4.6
• Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.), Arakenanusasani Sutta: "Araka's Teaching" (AN 7.70 PTS: A iv 136); edited by Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly

Jain or Shiva Temple, Tamil Nadu, India

Jain holy site or unseen cave temple of Shiva? Sathrumalleswaram, India

(PraveenMohan) Sept. 26, 2024: There is an ancient cave temple in a remote village called Dalavanur, India. The name of this megalithic site is Sathrumalleswaram and was built in 6th or 7th century AD. Inside there is a giant lingam, which is usually a symbol of [the extraterrestrial being] Shiva. But how could ancient builders have created such a marvel?

Join the channel to get access to perks: @realpraveenmohan. Hugh Newman's Megalithomania Channel: ‪@MegalithomaniaUK‬. Whatsapp channel: whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9U... Instagram: praveenet. Facebook: praveenmohanfans. Twitter: iampraveenmohan. Email ID: info.praveenmohan@gmail.com. Patreon account to support: praveenmohan. #praveenmohan #hughnewman #harharmahadev

The story of the Buddha in brief

The Story of the Buddha – Prince Siddhartha Gautama – complete

(See U in History / Mythology) The "Enlightened One" or the Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha at age 35. He was born into a royal (kshastriya) family among the Scythians in the 5th century BCE in what is now [Bamiyan, Afghanistan, which at that time was  Kapilavastu, part of Gandhara]. After confronting human suffering, he renounced his princely life in search of answers and enlightenment -- namely, why do we suffer and what can be done to bring about the end of all suffering? With six years of wandering ascetic practices and meditation -- practicing under two yogis, Alara Kalama and Uddakka Ramaputta -- under a sacred fig tree, awakened, achieved nirvana, and understood the causes and conditions of suffering (disappointment, woe, unsatifactoriness) and the path to liberation.

• See U in History
• Art: Marcus Aquino
• Color: Rod Fernandes #Mythology
• #SeeUinHistory #History #mythologyexplained
• Rest® | The Rest is Magic
• See U in History / Mythology, 2/17/24; Amber Larson (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

SUTRA: When the trees talk (MN 45)

The great Isaline Blew Horner, an early British translator of Buddhist sutras, originally translated this discourse from the Pali canon. It is updated here into modern English in a vernacular that Americans might find easier to understand.

45. The Lesser Discourse on the (Ways of) Undertaking Dhamma

British translator I.B. Horner

Thus have I heard: At one time the Buddha was staying near the City of Sāvatthī in Jeta's Forest Grove in the billionaire's monastery.

There he addressed the wandering ascetics, saying: “Meditators!” “Revered one,” they answered. The Buddha taught:

“Meditators, these four are (ways of) undertaking this Teaching (the Dharma). What are the four? There is, meditators, the undertaking of

1. Dharma that is happiness in the present but results in suffering in the future
2. Dharma that is both suffering in the present and results in suffering in the future
3. Dharma that is suffering in the present but results in happiness in the future
4. Dharma that is both happiness in the present and results in happiness in the future.

Female wanderers are hot with their long hair

“What, meditators, is the first? There are some ascetics and priests (shramanas and brahmanas) who speak like this and hold these views: ‘There is nothing wrong with sense pleasures.’

“They indulge in sense pleasures; they gratify themselves with female wanderers (sadhvis) who tie their hair into pretty topknots; they speak like this:

Sadhvis are so very pretty!

“‘How can these worthy ascetics and priests, seeing some future danger in sense pleasures, speak of letting go of sense pleasures, lay down a full knowledge of sense pleasures?’

“Saying, ‘Happiness is in the young, soft, and downy arms of this female wanderer,’ they indulge in sense pleasures.

“They, having indulged in sense pleasures, at the breaking up of the body after dying, arise in a sorrowful state, an unfortunate rebirth, an abyss, even in hell (niraya).

Sadhvi Saraswati-ji

“Here they experience painful feelings that are sharp and excruciating. They say, ‘These worthy ascetics and priests, seeing future danger in sense pleasures, speak of letting go of sense pleasures and lay down a full knowledge of sense pleasures.’

“‘But we, because of sense pleasures, now experience painful feelings that are sharp and excruciating, their cause being sense pleasures.’

“Meditators, it is as if in the last month of the hot season, a creeper's seedpod burst and a seed of the vine known as a creeper, meditators, were to fall at the root of a sāl tree.

“Then, meditators, the spirit (devatā, dryad) residing in that sāl tree, being afraid and agitated, might start trembling.

“Then, meditators, the friends and acquaintances, the kith and kin, of that spirit who resides in that sāl tree -- spirits of parks, groves, trees, those residing in medicinal herbs, grasses, and woods -- gathering together and assembling might give comfort to that sal tree in this way:

A worker in the wood might remove a vine seed.

“‘Do not be afraid, revered one! Do not be afraid, revered one! For a peacock might swallow this creeper's seed, or a deer might chew it, or a forest fire might burn it up, or workers in the wood might remove it, or white ants might eat it, or it might never sprout.’

“But, meditators, if neither a peacock should swallow this creeper vine's seed, nor a deer eat it, nor a forest fire burn it up, nor workers in the wood remove it, nor white ants eat it, it might sprout.

The monsoon rains may come to water the land.

“Rained on by the monsoon clouds, it might grow quickly, and a young, soft, and downy creeper, clinging to it might take hold of that old sāl tree.

“Then, meditators, it might occur to the spirit residing in that sāl tree: ‘Why then did these worthy friends and acquaintances, my kith and kin -- spirits of parks, groves, trees, those residing in medicinal herbs, grasses, and woods, seeing future danger in this creeper's seed -- gathering together and assembling, utter these comforting words:

You like that, huh, Red, my soft embrace?

“‘Do not be afraid, revered one! Do not be afraid, revered one! For a peacock might swallow this creeper vine's seed, or a deer might eat it, or a forest fire might burn it up, or workers in the wood might remove it, or white ants might eat it, or it might not sprout’? Pleasant is the touch of this young, soft, downy, and clinging creeper.’

The vine gets carried away and takes over.

“It might cover that sāl tree. And doing so, it might form a canopy above it. It might produce dense overgrowth. Producing dense overgrowth, it might strangle every branch of that great sāl tree.

“Then, meditators, it might occur to the dryad (devatā) residing in that sāl tree: ‘It was because of seeing this future danger in the creeper's seed that those worthy friends and acquaintances, my kith and kin -- spirits of parks, groves, trees, those residing in medicinal herbs, grasses, and woods, seeing future danger in this creeper's seed -- gathering together and assembling, utter these comforting words:

I'll cling to him and he'll be all mine.

“‘Do not be afraid, revered one! Do not be afraid, revered one! For a peacock might swallow this creeper's seed, or a deer might eat it, or a forest fire might burn it up, or workers in the wood might remove it, or white ants might eat it, or it might not sprout.’ For I, because of this creeper's seed, am experiencing painful, sharp, excruciating feelings.’

“Even so, meditators, there are some worthy ascetics and priests who speak this way and hold these views:

There's nothing wrong with sense pleasures.

“‘There is nothing wrong with sense pleasures.’ They, indulging in sense pleasures, at the breaking up of the body after dying, reappear in a sorrowful state, an unfortunate rebirth, an abyss, even in a hell (niraya).

“Here they experience painful feelings that are sharp and excruciating. They say, ‘These worthy ascetics and priests, seeing danger in sense pleasures, speak of letting go of sense pleasures and display a full knowledge of sense pleasures.’

“‘But we, because of sense pleasures, experience painful feelings that are sharp and excruciating, their cause being sense pleasures.’

“This, meditators, is called the undertaking of Dharma that is happiness in the present that results in suffering in the future.” More

• Scientists unveil missing law of nature in landmark discovery
• Sadhvi Siddhali Shree, Jain nun, veteran, film maker
• I.B. Horner (trans.), MN 45 (suttacentral.net); Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

Does the world still have ritual magic?

Shamanism: The Taino Sacred Dances | SLICE

Some see things directly with the spirits

(SLICE) Before an important trip, men of the Enawéné Tribe invoke the unseen spirits by performing a traditional dance and song, asking them to watch over their village. This is an extract from the documentary: Amazon Games. Direction: Sandrine Leonardelli. Production: ZED & ARTE France – Manuel Catteau.

SLICE wants to fill curiosity. Accessible to anyone from anywhere at any time, this channel is a weekly dose of short docs about curious facts, discoveries, astounding info, unusual stories, weird, fun, and instructive. Be smart, have a slice. Subscribe now ► @slicedocumentary

• SLICE, 2/4/20; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Verses of Subha the Goldsmith's daughter

Ven. Sujato (trans.), Therigatha: "Verses of the Elder Nuns" (13.5), The Book of the Twenties; Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Now I know and see and wish to be a nun. Buddha, ordain me and teach me more.*

Awakened Women of Buddhism in the Therigatha

The Therīgāthā, often translated as "The Verses of the Elder Nuns" (from Pāli therī "elder," a female with more than ten rainy seasons as a nun, and gāthā, "verses") is an important Buddhist text.

It is a collection of short verses or poems of early enlightened women, who were "elders" in the Noble Sangha or "community of enlightened individuals in the world."

Elder here does not mean old, as having been in robes for ten Vass or "monsoon periods," starting at a young age, as young as 7, one might be a 17-year-old fully enlightened nun. If one received full ordination at the age of consent, 20 (which would be 21 because in many Asian countries one is born at age 1, not 0, as in the west).

The poems date from a 300-year period, with some dated as early as the late 6th century BCE. According to American Ven. Thanissaro, abbot of Wat Metta, the Therigatha is the "earliest extant text depicting women’s spiritual experiences."

In the Pāli Canon, the Therigatha is classified as part of the Khuddaka Nikaya, the collection of short books in the Sutta Pitaka. It consists of 73 verses organized into 16 chapters. It is the companion text to the Theragatha, "The Verses of Elder Monks" or men's spiritual awakenings. It is the earliest known collection of women's literature composed in ancient India. Here is one example:

Subhā, the Goldsmith’s Daughter

1.1 “I was so young, my clothes so fresh,

1.2 at the time I heard the Teaching.

1.3 Being attentive [in meditation/contemplation],

1.4 I comprehended the truth;

2.1 And then I became profoundly dispassionate

2.2 towards all sensual pleasures.

2.3 Seeing danger in this insubstantial reality,

2.4 I longed for renunciation [to let go].

3.1 Giving up my family circle,

3.2 bonded servants and workers,

3.3 and my flourishing villages and lands,

3.4 so delightful and pleasant,

4.1 I went forth [ordained as a wandering ascetic nun];

4.2 all that is no small wealth.

4.3 Now that I’ve gone forth in confidence like this,

4.4 in the true Teaching so well proclaimed,

5.1 since I crave for nothing,

5.2 it would be inappropriate

5.3 to take back gold and money,

5.4 having already gotten rid of them.

6.1 Neither money nor gold

6.2 lead to peace or awakening.

6.3 It does not befit a wandering ascetic.

6.4 It is not the wealth of the noble ones;

7.1 It’s just greed and vanity,

7.2 confusion and growing decadence,

7.3 dubious, troublesome —

7.4 there is nothing lasting there.

8.1 Depraved and heedless,

8.2 unenlightened folk, their hearts corrupted,

8.3 fight each other,

8.4 creating conflict.

9.1 Killing, caging, misery,

9.2 loss, grief, and lamentation,

9.3 those sunk in sensual pleasures

9.4 see many disastrous things.

10.1 My family, why do you urge me back

10.2 to [lowly] pleasures as if you were my enemies?

10.3 You know I have gone forth [from all that],

10.4 seeing great danger in [clinging to] sensual pleasures.

11.1 It is not due to gold, minted or unminted,

11.2 that defilements come to an end.

11.3 Sensual pleasures are enemies and murderers,

11.4 hostile forces that bind us to thorns.

12.1 My family, why do you urge me on

12.2 to pleasures as if you were my enemies?

12.3 You know I have gone forth,

12.4 shaven, wrapped in my outer saffron robe.

13.1 Leftovers as gleanings,

13.2 and cast-off rags as my robes —

13.3 that is what is fitting for me,

13.4 the essentials of the left-home life.

14.1 Great seers expel craving for sensual pleasures,

14.2 whether human and divine.

14.3 Safe in their sanctuary, they are free,

14.4 having found unshakable happiness.

15.1 May I not encounter [sticky] sensual pleasures,

15.2 for no safety is found in them.

15.3 Sensual pleasures are enemies and murderers,

15.4 as painful as a bonfire [one is cast upon].

16.1 Greed is an obstacle, a threat,

16.2 full of anguish and thorns;

16.3 it is out of balance,

16.4 a great gateway to confusion.

17.1 Hazardous and terrifying,

17.2 sensual pleasures are like a snake’s head [with fangs],

17.3 where fools delight,

17.4 the blind ordinary [uninstructed] folk.

18.1 Mired in the swamp of sensuality,

18.2 there are so many ignorant in the world.

18.3 They know nothing of making an end

18.4 of rebirth and future deaths.

19.1 Because of [craving for] sensual pleasures,

19.2 people fall onto a path that goes to a bad place.

19.3 So many walk that path

19.4 that brings them disease.

20.1 That is how [attachment to] sensual pleasures creates enemies;

20.2 they are tormenting, corrupting,

20.3 trapping living beings with worldly pleasures of the flesh.

20.4 They are nothing less than the bonds of death.

21.1 Enticing, maddening,

21.2 sensual pleasures derange the heart/mind.

21.3 They are a snare laid by Māra [the Tempter]

21.4 for the corruption of living beings.

22.1 Sensual pleasures are boundlessly dangerous.

22.2 They are full of suffering, a terrible poison;

22.3 Offering little gratification, they are makers of strife,

22.4 withering bright qualities away.

23.1 Since I have created so much ruination

23.2 because of [craving for] sensual pleasures,

23.3 I will not relapse to them again

23.4 but will always delight in quenching.

24.1 Fighting against sensual pleasures,

24.2 longing for that cool state,

24.3 I shall meditate diligently

24.4 for the ending of all fetters.

25.1 Sorrowless, stainless, secure:

25.2 I’ll follow that path,

25.3 the straight noble eightfold way

25.4 by which the seers have crossed over.”

26.1 “Look at this: Subhā the goldsmith’s daughter,

26.2 standing firm in the teaching.

26.3 She has entered the imperturbable state,

26.4 meditating at the root of a tree.

27.1 It’s just eight days since she went forth,

27.2 full of confidence in the beautiful Teaching.

27.3 Guided by Ven. Uppalavaṇṇā,

27.4 she is master of the Three Knowledges, conqueror of death.

28.1 This one is freed from slavery and debt,

28.2 a nun with faculties developed.

28.3 Unyoked from all yokes,

28.4 she has completed the task and is free of defilements [asavas].”

29.1 Thus did Sakka, lord of all creatures,

29.2 along with a host of devas,

29.3 having come by their psychic powers,

29.4 honor Subhā, the goldsmith’s daughter.

*The enlightened author

G. P. Malalasekera, Buddhist Dictionary of Pali Proper Names (1899-1973), London, edited by Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly

Verses of Arahant Nun Subhā, who dwelled in the Jīvaka Mango Garden (serenecolombo.org)

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Subhā Kammāradhītā was the daughter of a rich goldsmith in Rājagaha, the royal city wrung by seven hills, where the Buddha spent many rainy seasons on Vulture's Peak and where "Buddhism" was founded near Pipphali Cave.

One day she went to pay homage to the Buddha and he, recognizing her ability to grasp the timeless Dhamma, taught her a gradual discourse. She became a stream enterer (sotāpanna, the first stage of enlightenment).

She later joined the Bhikkhuni Sangha or "Nun's Order," under Ven. Mahā Pajāpatī Gotami (the world's first Buddhist nun, the Buddha's adoptive mother, sister of his biological mother, Queen Maya).

From time to time her relatives tried to persuade her to disrobe and leave the Monastic Order to return to the lay life and the world.

So one day she set forth, in 24 verses, the dangers of household life and dismissed them, convinced of her having rightly grasped the ultimate meaning of life due to her initial awakening.

Then, striving for insight (vipassana), she attained full enlightenment (arahantship) on the eighth day (Therigatha, Verses 338-361).

The Buddha saw this and praised her in three verses (Thig.vs.362-364).

Sakka (the king of the devas of Tavatimsa or the "Heaven of the Thirty-Three" and the "Realm of the Four Great Regents") visited her with the devas of Tāvatimsa and uttered another verse in her praise (ThigA.365; ThigA.236f.)