Saturday, October 10, 2026

Buddhist love at first sight: WHY? šŸ’˜šŸ˜



"Winds in the east, mist coming in, like something is brewing about to begin. Can't put my finger on what lies in store, but I feel what's to happen all happened before."

Have we met before? | Seven signs of a past-life connection


(Buddha's Wisdom) šŸ” WHY DO SOME STRANGERS INSTANTLY FEEL LIKE FAMILY? What are the signs we have known someone in a past life? And what does Buddhism actually teach about these karmic connections?

This video examines seven experiences often linked to past-life (what non-Buddhist traditions call "reincarnation") relationships, from instant trust and unexplained recognition to recurring conflict and shared spiritual growth.


Through ancient Buddhist texts, traditional stories, disputed past-life cases, meditation teachings, and modern memory research, let's explore Buddhist rebirth without assuming that the oversimplification that a "permanent soul" (atta or atman) is traveling from one life to another. That is what is happening, conventionally speaking but, ultimately, it is a pernicious wrong view.


DISCOVER
  1. Seven signs that may make someone feel strangely familiar
  2. Why the strange old couple greeted the Buddha as if he were their long-lost son
  3. The reported recognition of the 14th Dalai Lama and the case of Swarnlata Mishra
  4. Why the Buddha said "a being who has not [already] been your mother is not easy to find"
  5. The Jātaka Birth Story about the couple who raised the Buddha for 1,500 births
  6. Why guided past-life regression is not the Buddhist method of recalling previous lives
  7. The Buddha’s overlooked second explanation for why two people feel drawn together

TIMESTAMPS
  • 00:00 The couple who called the Buddha “son”*
  • 02:09 When a stranger feels like family
  • 06:36 The ones who came back
  • 12:57 Can meditation show you?
  • 17:38 The second explanation
  • *(NOTE: The Sāketa couple (Nakula-mata and Nakula-pita)'s first meeting and the rival wives come from commentarial literature written centuries after the Buddha, drawing on older oral tradition. This video presents them as the tradition tells them, not as verified history. (Nakula-pita and Nakula-mata Gahapati)
šŸ“š SOURCES AND FURTHER READING (affiliate links)
Primary texts:
Modern cases and research:
  • Ian Stevenson, Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation
  • Morey Bernstein, The Search for Bridey Murphy
  • Scoboria et al. (2017), "A mega-analysis of memory reports from eight peer-reviewed false memory implantation studies," Memory
  • John F. Kihlstrom, “Hypnosis, Delayed Recall, and the Principles of Memory”

šŸ“æ Which sign brought someone to mind...and what actually happened? Leave more than a number. What moment that made you think of the person? Join community: Instagram: buddhaswizdom. Facebook: buddhaswizdom. X: https://x.com/BuddhasWizdom. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ndnBU5... TikTok: buddhas.wisdom.

Support the channel: buymeacoffee.com/buddhaswisdom, paypal.me/buddhaswisdom. šŸ™ Subscribe for more of the stories behind Buddhism’s most familiar ideas. #Buddhism #PastLife #PastLives #Rebirth #Karma #PastLifeConnection #BuddhasWisdom #KarmicConnections #Meditation
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Friday, October 9, 2026

The Floods: SoCal surf's up; Hurricane Isaias


The Buddha warned of four great floods
Ven. Nyanatiloka (Buddhist Dictionary) edited by Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly

Say it slowly, Awakened One, so we can all hear.
The Buddhist term ogha means "floods" and is a name for the Four Influxes (āsavas,  the "taints, corruptions, cankers, intoxicating biases" as in the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta DN 16, Paį¹­isambhidā-magga, and Vibhaį¹…ga).

What are these four great dangers? The flood or influx of:
  1. sensual craving (kāmāsava)
  2. [craving eternal] existence (bhavāsava)
  3. [wrong] views (ditthāsava)
  4. ignorance (avijjāsava).
I want to hear this to be free from future danger
A list of three, omitting the influx of views, is possibly older and occurs more frequently in the sutras (e.g., in MN 2, MN 9, DN 33; A.III.59, 67; A.VI.63). The Vibhanga (Khuddakavatthu Vibhanga) mentions both this threefold and fourfold division.

The fourfold division also occurs under the name of "floods" (ogha) and "yokes" (yoga).

Through the first stage of enlightenment (the path of stream-entry), the flood of [clinging to wrong] views is destroyed. Through the third stage (the path of non-returning), the flood of sensual craving is done away with. Through the fourth stage (the path of arhatship, full enlightenment), the floods of craving for eternal existence [endless rebirths in samsara] and ignorance are stopped.

The SamaƱƱaphala Sutta (MN 2) shows how to overcome these four floods, namely, through:
  • insight (wisdom),
  • sense-control (restraint),
  • avoidance (adverting attention),
  • wise use of the necessities of life,
  • and so on.
Why would anyone want to awaken?
For a commentarial exposition, see Atthasālini (Tr. I, p. 63f: II, pp. 475ff.)

KhÄ«nāsava is "one whose corruptions are destroyed" or "one who is free of cankers." This is a name for an arhat, a perfected person, a Buddhist saint, completely liberated person who has awakened and experienced nirvana in this very life and lives out the remainder of life in complete certainty of liberation (moksha) and freedom (vimutti).

Can an enlightened person surf over the floods?
This state of arhatship is frequently called āsavakkhaya, "the destruction of the floods." Discourses concluding with the attainment of arhatship by those who hear them, often culminate with the words:

"During this utterance, the hearts of the [meditators, listeners, hearers] were freed from the floods through clinging no more" (anupādāya āsavehi cittāni vimuccimsū'ti).

California coastal flood chaos! šŸŒŠ Massive waves flood streets, vehicles stranded in Newport Beach, OC
.
No, Son, that's too dangerous! Get inside!
Storm-HQ(Storm-HQ) Southern California coastal flooding turns streets into rivers on October 9, 2026, as massive waves, swells, and unusually high tides overwhelmed ritzy Newport Beach (OC) and Long Beach (LA), battering Surf City USA in Southern California.

Floodwaters surround vehicles across the Balboa Peninsula, while powerful surf damages multimillion dollar beachfront homes and coastal defenses in Long Beach.

With Tropical Storm Rachel approaching, emergency officials warned that more dangerous flooding could follow.

Tropical Storm Rachel hits LA/OC

Newport Beach is so rich with such a concentration of West Coast wealth that it has its own flag
See, God, it's just that Newport is where we park all of our rich and fancy yachts (Balboa Island)
Aerial view of the Lido Peninsula in Newport Beach, California (Don Ramey Logan)
.
Balboa Peninsula, Newport Beach, OC
Newport Beach, California, became one of the hardest-hit communities as seawater surged into residential streets across the Balboa Peninsula. Flooding affected approximately 15 to 20 blocks, leaving vehicles surrounded by corrosive seawater and reaching nearby properties.

Officials reported that the morning tide rose roughly nearly two feet (20 inches) above its predicted level, creating dangerous conditions for motorists and residents.

The City of Newport Beach declared a local emergency as coastal floodwaters spread through vulnerable neighborhoods.


Emergency crews deployed pumps, opened drainage valves, and worked to rebuild protective sand barriers.

Toxic sewage about to swamp LA, OC
WARNING: Residents and visitors are urged to avoid flooded streets while authorities respond to the rapidly developing coastal flooding emergency.

Long Beach, in LA County (home of the Queen Mary and Spruce Goose), are also suffering significant storm damage as massive waves batter the Peninsula and break through sections of a protective coastal barrier.

The Beach Boys and their Woody vehicle popularized the myth of a perfect, ever-sunny SoCal
.
We're fine on sunny days. Let's clean up!
Seawater flooded nearby streets, damaged beachfront properties, and threatened homes along Seaside Walk. Building inspectors declared some structures unsafe to enter, while one severely damaged beachfront home faced the risk of collapsing toward the ocean.

The destruction extends beyond flooded neighborhoods. Powerful surf is damaging the access road to San Onofre State Beach near the Orange County and San Diego County boundary.

Coastal erosion, damaged infrastructure, and dangerous waves are raising concerns across Southern California as residents prepare for additional high tides.

Hurricane Isaias hits Southeast USA
(Severe Weather USA) Hurricane Isaias landfall, power out, winds, floods

Tropical Storm Rachel added another threat to the California flooding emergency. The approaching Pacific storm prompted a rare tropical storm watch for coastal San Diego County, including San Diego, Oceanside, Carlsbad, and Chula Vista.

Forecasters are warning of possible strong winds, heavy rainfall, dangerous surf, and additional coastal flooding over the weekend.
  • [SoCal is suffering a massive heat wave during Indian Summer 2026, but over the weekend rain is expected before things heat up again.*]
At least mountains are safe? Not quite
Big Bear Lake in summer, Southern California
Flood watches far from the beaches also cover inland communities across San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. Palm Springs (the high desert), Coachella (site of the massive annual festival), Indio (with its inland Salton Sea), Big Bear Lake (home of Jackie and Shadow, the most famous eagles in the world), and Lake Arrowhead face the possibility of flash flooding as tropical moisture approaches desert valleys and mountain communities.

These locations are under weather alerts rather than confirmed reports of widespread flood destruction.

Hurricane Simon goes for Mexico
(Asianet News English) Hurricane Simon comes after Mexico: boats sink,
roads flood, and tourist destination Puerto Vallarta prepares for big hit

At least NoCal is safe? Not quite
Iran, now's a good time to bomb LA and SD
Coastal flood advisories extend north toward Ventura, Malibu, San Francisco, Monterey Bay, and Big Sur, where elevated tides and powerful waves threaten low-lying roads, shoreline neighborhoods (Goodbye, Gilroy, home of garlic) and beach facilities.

Authorities warn that dangerous conditions could continue through the weekend and into the following week. This video covers the Oct. 9, 2026, California floods, Newport Beach flooding, Balboa Peninsula flood damage, Long Beach coastal flooding, Tropical Storm Rachel, massive waves, flooded streets, vehicles surrounded by water, damaged beachfront homes, coastal erosion, and severe weather across Southern California, West Coast, USA.

Post-Iran nuking weather report
The confirmed flooding and property damage described in this report occurred primarily in Newport Beach and Long Beach. Other California locations face flood watches and coastal warnings, with additional impacts dependent on changing weather conditions.

For official California flood warnings, coastal flood advisories, and tropical storm updates, follow the National Weather Service, NOAA National Hurricane Center, and local emergency management authorities. And don't say we didn't warn you. #CaliforniaFloods #NewportBeach #CoastalFlooding
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Thursday, October 8, 2026

Save the planet with Kat: NY Climate Week




What does "Art for Impact" mean?
I spent last week in New York City for Climate Week. Some of it was at the UN (United Nations), where was a participant and listened to people work through targets and timelines.

Some of it was on a stage at the Sheen Center, where I was asked a question I thought I already knew the answer to.

The panel was Art for Impact, and the question was simply, "What does that mean?"

The czar's former empire became a union
I found myself talking about the old Soviet Union (USSR), which tried to overtake Buddhist Afghanistan with its Bamiyan treasures. Because if we look back at the USSR, artists were forbidden.

Writers could not write certain songs or paint certain images. A poem could get one sent to Siberia to a gulag to freeze and be forgotten. None of that happened because anyone thinks art is decoration.

Climate Week NYC 2026 | September 20–27, New York City, USA

Beauty attracts attention. Art makes an impact.
It happened because people in power understood something about art that the rest of us have largely let ourselves forget. The people in power are not afraid of it because it is beautiful. They are afraid because it works.

I have been turning that over all week. Art is not a way of illustrating what we already know or believe. It is one of the few things that changes what a society comes to know, see, or believe without asking anyone's permission.

Every law that has ever protected a forest began as a feeling held by enough people at the same time. Art is how a feeling like that becomes shared, so that once enough of us are carrying and sharing it, it stops being an opinion; it becomes something everyone simply assumes and takes as obvious.

That is what I mean by "impact art." It is also what those rooms at the UN are quietly waiting for. Targets are written by people, and people keep them or abandon them depending on whether what is being protected feels worth the trouble by the time a deadline arrives.
The frameworks are real and necessary, and I'm glad they exist. What decides their fate is whether enough of us care when they come due. That part is not written into any of those documents. It is the part I think artists are for.

I've talked about fire for days, so I won't repeat myself. Only that on stage I realized I had spent the month painting the same thought. I learned it in Altadena, site of the massive Eaton Fire (2025).




Mural prayers preserved behind gold
Six months after that wildfire started by careless SCE (Southern California Edison), I was invited to paint a mural with the community. As we worked, people embedded their prayers on the wall, our wooden canvas, that I then preserved behind gold paint.

[That massive Eaton Fire mural now sits prominently inside the north wall of The Free Store inside The Collaboratory on Woodbury in Altadena.]

The Eaton Fire Collab, Altadena, LA, CA
One woman pointed to her friend across the mural in the making. She had lost her home to fire and had not smiled in six months. There she was with a brush in her hand saying, "I should paint more."
No target was written that day, but something changed anyway.

The UN panel also asked, "What is the hardest part?" On purpose I look at what is happening to the living world. And more than once it has taken my hope away. One night, I could find no light at all. All I could do was be grateful for one breath, that single breath, then the next.
The Buddha had a big heart for everyone.
I think that is the whole practice. We do not have to wait until something is nearly gone before we love it. The Earth's wildlife is still here. The soil. The people. The flora, the fauna. Gratitude is not a soft feeling; it is where protection begins.

This is why clean air and clean water (rivers and oceans), healthy soil and healthy trees (forest) have never sounded like a modest thing to receive or hand down. They are our entire human inheritance.

Most of what holds them is still standing. The people living alongside forests have protected them for generations without ever needing instructions, only support.

There's one more thing before I go. Artful Impact is back, opening the new season with Robert J. Dellinger on why climate science needs storytellers, which turns out to be the same question I was asked on stage. But Artful Impact approaches it from the other side.

Life Force Trees | 165 Trees Per Person
Here is what I would love from you, readers. Tell me about a piece of art that changed something in you and what you did afterward. This second part is what I am collecting. Post it below in the comments.

With love,


P.S. If this message makes you want to put your hands into something right now, see 165 Trees: ourlifeforce.org.

Speaking: Invite Ekaterina Sky to speak on the environment and artful impact
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Sacred Path powwow, LA's Griffith Park (11/7)



Where's the powwow? It's at LA's enormous central park Griffith Park next to Hollywood.

What is Griffith Park? - It is a giant wilderness area with free roaming lions like P-22's cubs.

Danza Azteca, Indigenous Los Angeles
Sacred Path at The Autry Museum. The big Los Angeles Pow Wow 2026 is scheduled for Saturday, November 7th, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. (Grand Entry begins at 1:00 pm).

The Autry Museum is in Griffith Park, Los Angeles (between Hollywood and Glendale). It is appropriate for ages 13+, families, seniors, and admission is FREE and open to the public. More info

Griffith Park is also home of Indie Shakes
Independent Shakespeare Co. Bridge Centennial Celebration, Oct. 10, 2026 (IndieShakes)
.
Why do powwow dancers gather together?
ABOUT: Join The Autry (next to the LA Zoo by the Shakespeare Festival) for a full-day celebration of Indigenous/Native culture with traditional powwow dancing, food, and vendors. The event features:
  • Shaman medicine man healers?
      Traditional dancing and songs led by Northern- and Southern-style drummers and singers
    • Indian tacos and traditional toxic (acrylamide soaked) frybread
    • Vendors selling traditional and contemporary Native American arts and crafts
    • Native community information booths
    • Diverse Native languages, customs, and dances
    Will there be any arts and crafts for sale to commemorate all the tribes and traditions of LA?

    SACRED PATH: The Autry is pleased to announce a new partnership with Sacred Path Indigenous Wellness Center. Sacred Path is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving urban Native communities, offering a variety of programs and services designed to promote cultural connection, community engagement, and overall well-being. For more info, please visit sacredpath.org.

    What is a powwow?
    What must the extraterrestrial visitors the tribes remember have looked like? (wiki)

    The Autry Museum of the American West
    A powwow is a Native American gathering that brings together Indigenous communities to celebrate their culture, heritage, and spirituality. It includes traditional regalia, intertribal dancing, singing, and Indigenous foods and crafts.

    What NOT to do at a powwow?
    • Is it a Native QuinceaƱera?
      Don’t touch dancers’ regalia (and please refrain from calling it a "costume")
    • Don’t take close-up photographs or video without permission.
    • Don’t walk through the dance arena or close to dancers, drummers.
    • Don’t interrupt sacred traditional ceremonies, dancing, or singing.
    • Don’t drink alcohol or consume drugs at this family-friendly event.
    What to do at a powwow?
    • Be respectful.
    • Stand quietly during prayers and flag songs.
    • Follow the instructions of the emcee and arena director.
    Land Acknowledgement
    Cherokee Land Acknowledgement
    The Autry Museum     acknowledges the Tongva/Gabrielino (Kizh) peoples as the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar (the Los Angeles Basin and Southern Channel Islands). We recognize that the Autry Museum and its campuses are located on the traditional lands of Tongva/Gabrielino peoples and we pay our respects to the Honuukvetam ("Ancestors"), ‘Ahiihirom ("Elders"), and ‘Eyoohiinkem ("our relatives/relations") past, present, and emerging.
    White man's powwow (slam dance mosh pit)
    DO NON-NATIVE YOUTH EVER GATHER FOR TRIBAL DANCING?
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