Saturday, July 28, 2018

Good Karma: Rains Retreat Ceremony (July 28)

Lankarama, Dharma Meditation Initiative, Four Noble Truths, Editors, Wisdom Quarterly
The offering of dana to baby monks, novices, in Theravada Thailand (Bugphai/flickr.com).
.
Rains Retreat Ceremony (Lankarama Institute)
The Lankarama Institute will invite 50 Buddhist monastics to enter the Rains Retreat period. This is an auspicious ceremony, a way of making good karma. We will offer requisites as a group to monastics, who will give blessings all night long as they chant parittas. Thanks to our Dharma partner Four Noble Truths, there is a pool organizing the offering. Requisites include Dharma books, CDs, medicinals, robes, food, and so on. One option is to bring items of whatever one wishes to offer or simply help organize them. Even being present at the giving is very wholesome good karma and a beautiful thing to see. Let's cultivate merit that serves as a supporting factor toward our realization of enlightenment and nirvana! The ceremony continues all night long. In the morning we make the great offering and enjoy a vegetarian lunch of Sri Lankan island cuisine. All are welcome to stay overnight or drop in for any portion of it. More:

Breatharianism: "Light" documentary (video)

LightDocumentary.com; Eliza Darcey, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Light: a free food source humans can consume
Can we live without eating any food or taking any drink? Yes. But, but, but...

Whatever we may want to say about it or however much doubt we bring to the topic, some people are already living without food and drink.

The Bodhisatta (Buddha-to-be) almost did it once with the help of devas, who wanted to pour deva food into his pores. But he did not want to mislead people who widely knew that he was fasting and/or living on very little food.

There are documented cases of people who are alive today without taking in calories or liquids, just breath (prana, chi, qi, kyi, spiritus).

It is possible to live on sunlight like plants and to produce sustenance in the form of the nectar of the devas, amrita, from under the tongue with yogic exercises and pranayama or "breath control." More

Anyone inspired by "In the Beginning There Was Light” and its message or by the articles on breatharianism (subsisting by "eating" only breath) on the lightdocumentary.com site may share information with the community via website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram...
 

"10 YEARS OF RESEARCH AND 5 YEARS OF FILMING"

Director P.A. Straubinger did ten years of research on the controversial topic of inediam a.k.a. "breatharianism." He writes in his extensive director's statement about the scientific and philosophical background of "Light," its message, possible misunderstandings, and unpublished research material. 

As I write this statement in the background section I will allow myself to answer the tagline of my film right away because it creates so much misunderstanding. This is a "spoiler." So if you have not seen the film and want to be surprised, please STOP reading! More

The Story of "Merchant Great-Wealth"

Eugene Burlingame (BPS, Wheel 324); Dhr. Seven, Eliza Darcey (editors), Wisdom Quarterly
Greed is not good if happiness born of karma is one's goal (Minerva Studio/Shutterstock)

21. Merchant Great-Wealth
"Here shall I spend the rainy season..."

This instruction was given by the Teacher (the Buddha) when he was residing at Jetavana Grove with reference to Mahadhana or "Merchant Great-Wealth."
 
The story goes that Mahadhana loaded 500 (figuratively "a large number") carts with red cloths dyed in safflower and set out from Benares (Varanasi) to trade.

When, on his return to Savatthi, he reached the bank of the river, he thought, "Tomorrow I will cross the river" and unyoked his carts right there and spent the night.

During the night a severe storm came, and it rained all night long. For seven days the river was flooding. For seven days the citizens did not go out to work or shop. The result was that the merchant had no opportunity to sell his crimson colored cloths.

The merchant thought to himself, "I have come a long distance, and if I go back again, I shall be delayed. Here shall I dwell during the rainy season, during the winter, and during the summer, working, selling these cloths."
 
As the Teacher made his alms round through the city, he became aware of the merchant's intention and smiled.

Thereupon the Elder Ananda asked the Buddha why he smiled. The Teacher replied, "Ananda, did you see Merchant Great-Wealth?"

— "Yes, reverend sir."

— "Not realizing that the end of his life is near, he has made up his mind to dwell right here during this entire year for the purpose of selling his goods."

— "But, reverend sir, is the end of his life at hand?"

— "Yes, Ananda. He will live only seven days longer, and then he will fall into the jaws of Death." So saying, the Teacher pronounced the following stanzas:
 
Today the effort must be made:
Who knows? Tomorrow Death may come.
No bargain with mortality
Can keep Death and his hordes away.
But one who dwells thus ardently,
Relentlessly, by day, by night,
One, a Hermit-Stilled, is one called,
The ideal lover of solitude [7].
— "Reverend sir, I will go tell him."

— "By all means go, Ananda."

Ananda went to the enclosure formed by Mahadhana's carts and made his alms round. The merchant reverently presented Ananda with an offering of food.

Then Ananda asked the merchant, "How long a time do you expect to remain here, Mahadhana?"

— "Reverend sir, I have come a long distance, and if I go back again, I shall suffer delay. So I shall remain here during this entire year, and when I have sold all my goods, I shall move on."

— "Layman, though the end of one's life is near, yet it is hard to realize it. One should be heedful."

— "Why, reverend sir, is the end of MY life at hand?"

— "Yes, layman, it is. Only seven days more will your life continue."
 
The merchant Mahadhana's heart stirred with deep emotion, so he invited the Order of Monastics presided over by the Buddha to be his guests for an offering of dana.

For seven days he gave alms. Finally, he took the Teacher's bowl to permit him to pronounce the words of thanksgiving. The Teacher said, in pronouncing words of thanksgiving:

"Disciple, a wise person should never allow oneself to think, 'Right here will I dwell during the rainy season, during the winter, and during the summer. I will do this work, and I will do that work.'

"Rather a person should meditate on the end of life." So saying the Teacher pronounced the following stanza:

"Here shall I spend the rains,
Here the winter, here the summer,"
This is the speculation of the fool
Unaware of the danger. — Dhp 286 

At the conclusion of the lesson, the merchant was established in the fruit of stream-entry (the first stage of enlightenment, from which there is no danger of falling back into worldly ignorance). The assembled audience also benefited from the lesson.
 
The merchant Mahadhana accompanied the Teacher on his way for a short distance and then turned back.

"I feel as if I have some trouble in my head," Mahadhana said. Then he laid himself on his bed. No sooner had he lain down than he died, and he was reborn in the world of the very fortunate Tusita devas. More

The True Nature of Existence ☸ Bhikkhu Bodhi

Bhikkhu Bodhi; Buddhism for Beginners Group; Eliza Darcey, Wisdom Quarterly

☸ The True Nature of Existence ☸
(Buddhism For Beginners Group, Dec. 17, 2017) A discourse on The True Nature of Existence by Bhikkhu Bodhi (American Theravada Buddhist monk, aka Jeffrey Block). Here is the full, uncut lecture, Recording 3, "True Nature of Existence."

History of Electronic Music 1972-2017 (video)

Pablo Franco, Aug. 27, 2017; Editors, Wisdom Quarterly

History of Electronic Music (1972-2017)
Dance of Shiva and Parvati
Some of the best electronic songs of all time: 1. Hot Butter - Pop Corn (1972) 2. Bee Gees Stayin Alive (1977) 3. Donna Summer - I Feel Love (1977) 4. Kraftwerk - The Robots (1978) 5. Lipps Inc - Funky Town (1980) 6. Soft Cell - Tainted Love (1981) 7. Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (1982) 8. New Order - Blue Monday (1983) 9. Harold Faltermeyer - Axel F (1984) 10. A-ha - Take On Me (1985) 11. Michael Jackson - Bad (1987) 12. Technotronic - Pump Up the Jam (1989) 13. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990) 14. CC Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat (1990) 15. Snap - Rhythm Is a Dancer (1992) 16. Robin S - Showin Me Your Love (1993) 17. Faithless - Insomnia (1995) 18. Robert Milles - Children (1996) 19. The Prodigy - Smack My Bitch Up (1997) 20. Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You (1998) 21. The Chemical Brothers - Hey Girl Hey Boy (1999) 22. Underworld - Born Slippy (2000) 23. Daft Punk - Harder Better Faster Stronger (2001) 24. Benny Benassi - Satisfaction (2003) 25. Mgmt - Kids (2003) 26. David Guetta - The World is Mine (2004) 27. DJ Tiesto - Adaggio for Strings (2004) 28. Bob Sinclair - Love Generation (2006) 29. Guru Josh Project - Infinity (2007) 30. Eric Prydz - Pjanoo (2008) 31. La Roux - Bulletproof (2009) 32. Hot Chip - I Feel Better (2010) 33. Avicii - Levels (2011) 34. Skrillex - Bangarang (2011) 35. Calvin Harris - I Need Your Love (2013) 36. Lilly Wood & The Prick and Robin Schulz - Prayer in C (2014) 37. Major Lazer & DJ Snake - Lean On (2015) 38. Marshmello - Alone (2016) 39. The Chainsmokers & Coldplay - Something Just Like This (2107?!) ♬♬ Part 2: youtube.com ♬♬ ♬♬ Part 3: youtube.com ♬♬

Friday, July 27, 2018

The Sakya Trichen in Los Angeles (July 28)

SakyaCenterLA.org (L.A.); Ashley Wells, Dhr. Seven, Crystal Quintero, Wisdom Quarterly

 
His Holiness the Sakya Trichen
第41任 薩迦法王
"His Holiness" the Sakya Trichen served as the 41st head of the Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhism until March 2017. In addition to his leadership of the Sakya Order for over 50 years, he is renowned throughout the world for the brilliance and clarity of his teachings and his fluency and precise command of English. More

薩迦法王於1945年出身於西藏高貴的昆式家族,由大成就者拿旺羅卓仁欽仁波切為法王啟蒙導師。薩迦法王所學所修,功德證量無不圓滿,證悟無上密續之般若智慧,以善巧方便開啟人們的智慧、提高判斷力與洞察力,讓我們對於世俗的一切做出無誤的抉擇,就如佛作出的智慧決定一般。對莘莘學子考試、進修攻讀學位也有無上助益。


His Holiness Sakya Trichen Kyabgon Gongma Trichen Rinpoche 第41任  薩迦法王 Teachings and Initiation in Southern California 南加州福慧之旅


White Umbrella Initiation 
大白傘蓋佛母灌頂

7/28th, 2018  9:30 am-12:00 pm

White Umbrella is known as an emanation of both Avalokiteshvara and of Tara, reflect the combined powers of all the Tathagata Buddhas. Her Empowerment and practice give protection from negative emotions, harms, afflictions, diseases, and obstacles.
 
大白傘蓋佛母是觀世音菩薩及度母的化身。她代表一切諸佛的力量總集。接受灌頂、修持大白傘蓋佛母可消除貪嗔癡、一切傷害、煩惱、疾病、以及障礙。More

Understanding Death & Amitabha Sleeping Yoga
解讀死亡 & 阿彌陀佛部睡眠瑜伽
July 28th, 2018  2:30 pm
Life is impermanent. When there is birth, there will be death. The importance of mindfulness of death is emphasized in many Tibetan Buddhist texts and teachings.

Amitabha Sleeping Yoga helps us overcome destructive emotions and purify negative karma during sleep. It also cultivates lucid dream for us to see the clear light—the nature of the mind, and to see the Buddha of boundless light, Amitabha, at the time of death, so to be reborn in the Pure Land of Sukhavati.
 
生命變化無常。有生則會有死。所以在藏傳佛教諸多教法中,死亡都是一個重要的課題。
 
阿彌陀佛睡眠瑜伽可幫助我們克服煩惱,並在睡眠中淨化惡業。 它還可培養我們在睡眠中依然保持清醒,讓我們看到淨光明,並在死亡時看到無量光佛–阿彌陀佛,並在阿彌陀佛的淨土中重生。

Registration 法會報名 

7/28th  9:30 am-12:00 pm
White Umbrella Initiation
大白傘蓋佛母灌頂 
7/28th  2:30pm-5pm
  • Understanding Death
    解讀死亡
  • Amitabha Sleeping Yoga
    阿彌陀佛部睡眠瑜伽

Fat genius explains light and gravity (video)

Theoria Apophasis; NightHawkInLight; Seth Auberon, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly


Secret of Light: 140-year-old mystery solved! Crookes Radiometer. A self-proclaimed "genius" solves the mystery of "light" and comes to fully understand gravity as well. Don't let the tattoos throw you. He is professorial. Don't let the many redundant repetitions mislead you. He may be on the spectrum but that only proves he's a nerd and a savant.

Gravity is weird

Copper's Surprising Reaction to Strong Magnets:
Force Field Motion Dampening
(NightHawkInLight, Jan. 26, 2018) In this video let's experiment with Lenz's Law and Faraday's Law of Induction to generate electricity and magnetic force fields using copper. Check out Brilliant.org (sponsor) for a fun way to learn! More on Lenz and Faraday's laws. Special thanks to Patrons Syniurge, Matthew Leitzke, TheBackyardScientist, Enzo Breda Lee, John Johnson, and Thibaud Peverelli! patreon.com/NightHawkProject


*Secrets of Magnetism* the never before seen torus-hyperboloid

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

A Buddhist View of Romantic Love (July 26)

Ananda M. (Dharma Meditation Initiative), Dhr. Seven, Eliza Darcey, Wisdom Quarterly

With regard to romantic love many will say, "There's nothing higher to live for!"

What is the Buddhist view? Love is so fulfilling that it's hard to imagine there could be anything higher or better.

But there are many things -- freedom, liberation, bliss, altruism, enlightenment, nirvana... Leonard Price in Nothing Higher to Live For: A Buddhist View of Romantic Love writes a powerful essay for that makes good reading every Valentine's Day.

On the occasion of a midsummer night's summer loving this discussion with special guest Miss Eliza Darcey. Thursday, July 26, 2018, 6:30-8:00 PM, Dharma Meditation Initiative, Neighborhood Church, 301 N. Orange Grove Ave., Pasadena, California (near Colorado Blvd.) Free/by donation.

Hot Guys (comedy)

Ellie Taylor (The Empire, March 10, 2018); Editors, Wisdom Quarterly

Friday, July 20, 2018

Stop Clinging (sutra)

Dhr. Seven, Sayalay Aloka (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly trans. based on Ven. Thanissaro (trans.) Upadana Sutta, "Discourse on Clinging" (SN 12.52); Lana Del Rey ("Get Free" of Clinging); SC



At that time the Buddha was dwelling in Savatthi. There the Blessed One said to the monastics: "In one who keeps giving attention to [pleasant, alluring] clingy things,* craving develops.
  • [*In other words, things clung to, clingy phenomena, things that offer sustenance or nutriment for suffering/becoming, a specific reference to the Five Aggregates: form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousnesses, which is not one unitary thing but many discrete, segmented things.]
"With craving as a requisite-condition there arises clinging/sustenance. With clinging/sustenance as a requisite-condition, there arises becoming.

"With becoming as a requisite-condition, there arises rebirth. With rebirth as a requisite-condition, there arises aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair. Such is the origin of this entire mass of pain and suffering.*
  • [*"Pain" here is hard to endure physical states, whereas as "suffering" is referring to hard to endure psychological states.]
"It is just as if there were a great mass of fire -- 10... 20... 30 or 40 cartloads worth of timber burning -- and into it a person would time and again toss dry grass, dry dung, and dry timber so that such a great mass of fire -- nourished and sustained by constant additions -- would burn for a long, long time.

"In just the same way, in one who keeps giving attention to clingy things, craving develops. With craving as a requisite-condition, there arises clinging/sustenance. With clinging/sustenance as a requisite condition, there arises becoming.

"With becoming as a requisite-condition, there arises rebirth. With rebirth as a requisite-condition, there arise aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair. Such is the origin of this entire mass of pain and suffering.

Solution
I'm nonclingy (independent) and loving it!
"However, in one who keeps giving attention to the drawbacks of clingy things, craving ceases. With the cessation of craving, clinging/sustenance ceases. With the cessation of clinging/sustenance, becoming ceases.

"With the cessation of becoming, rebirth ceases. With the cessation of rebirth so, too, aging, sickness and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair cease. Such is the cessation of this entire mass of pain and suffering.

"It is just as if a great mass of fire...were burning, into which a person [were no longer to toss in fuel] so that such a great mass of fire -- its original sustenance being consumed and no more being added -- would, with no more sustenance, go out.

"In just the same way, in one who repeatedly gives attention to the drawbacks of clingy things, craving ceases. With the cessation of craving comes the cessation of clinging/sustenance. With the cessation of clinging/sustenance comes the cessation of becoming.

"With the cessation of becoming comes the cessation of rebirth. With the cessation of rebirth so, too, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair cease. Such is the cessation of this entire mass of pain and suffering."

Updated versions of many translations are freely available at dhammatalks.org

Meditating on No-Self

Sister Khema (originally edited for Bodhi Leaves from the Buddhist Publication Society via accesstoinsight.org); Sayalay Aloka, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Meditating on No-Self: A Dharma Talk
In Buddhism we use the words "self" and "no-self." It is important to understand just what this "no-self" (anatta), is all about, even if it is first just an idea, because the essence of the Buddha's teaching hinges on this vital concept.
 
And in this teaching Buddhism is unique. No one, no other spiritual teacher, has formulated no-self in just this way. And because it has been formulated by the Awakened One in this way, there is also the possibility of speaking about it.
 
Much has been written about no-self, but in order to know it [to directly experience and be liberated by insight into it], one has to experience it. And that is what the teaching aims at, the experience of no-self or selflessness.
 
Yet in order to experience no-self, one has first to fully know self. Actually know it. But unless we do know what this self is, this self called "me," it is impossible to know what is meant by "there is no self there." In order to give something away, we have to first fully have it in hand.
 
We are constantly trying to reaffirm self. Which already shows that this "self" is a very fragile and rather wispy sort of affair, because if it weren't why would we constantly have to reaffirm it?

Why are we constantly afraid of the "self" being threatened of its being insecure, of its not getting what it needs for survival? If it were such a solid entity as we believe it to be, we would not feel threatened so often.
 
We affirm "self" again and again through identification. We identify with a certain name, an age, a sex, an ability, an occupation. "I am a lawyer, I am a doctor, I am an accountant, I am a student." And we identify with the people we are attached to. "I am a husband, I am a wife, I am a mother, I am a daughter, I am a son."

Now, in the manner of speech, we have to use "self" in that way -- but it isn't only in speech [and enlightened people who have seen and KNOW that there is no-self can use the conventional expression "self" with no confusion whatsoever, but we when we hear the word "self" assume it has to refer to some real entity].

We really think that that "self" is who WE are. We really believe it. There is no doubt in our mind that that "self" is who we are. When any of these factors is threatened, if being a wife is threatened, if being a mother is threatened, if being a lawyer is threatened, if being a teacher is threatened -- or if we lose the people who enable us to retain that "self" -- what a tragedy!
 
The self-identification becomes insecure, and "me" finds it hard to say "look at me," "this is me." Praise and blame are included. Praise reaffirms "me." Blame threatens "me." So we like the praise and we dislike the blame. The ego is threatened. Fame and infamy -- same thing.

Loss and gain. If we gain, the ego gets bigger; if we lose, it gets a bit smaller. So we are constantly in a quandary, and in constant fear. The ego might lose a little bit of its grandeur. It might be made a bit smaller by someone. And it happens to all of us. Somebody is undoubtedly going to blame us for something eventually. Even the Buddha was blamed.

Now the blame that is levied at us is not the problem. The problem is our reaction. The problem is that we feel smaller. The ego has a hard time reasserting itself. So what we usually do is we blame back, making the other's ego a bit smaller, too.

Identification with whatever it is that we do and whatever it is that we have, be it possessions or people, is, so we believe, needed for our survival. "Self" survival. If we don't identify with this or that, we feel as if we are in limbo. This is the reason why it is difficult to stop thinking in meditation. Because without thinking there would be no identification.

If I don't think, what do I identify with? It is difficult to come to a stage in meditation in which there is actually nothing to identify with any more. Happiness, too, may be an identification. More

Genghis Khan exhibit (video)

Reagan Library; Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly


Question: What do pants, the Pony Express, cannons, paper money, skis, violins, bakhlava, and “hooray!” all have in common? Answer: Genghis Khan introduced them all to the West. Not Genghis the brutal barbarian of Western history books, but Genghis the great civilizer and lawmaker, whose empire brought each of these innovations to the west, including 13th Century Mongolian-style democracy. Now the most comprehensive exhibition of Genghis Khan and his treasures invades the Reagan Library, its only Southern California stop on an international tour that has drawn more than a million visitors. Daily live cultural performances within the exhibit at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 3:00 pm! More

When all humans are DEAD (comedy)

Flight of the Conchords "Robots" (live); Family Guy (Pixie Dust); Editors, Wisdom Quarterly


"Robots"
LYRICS: The distant future The year 2000 The distant future The year 2000 The distant future The distant future  It is the distant future The year 2000 We are robots The world is quite different ever since the robotic uprising of the late 90s. There is no more unhappiness. Affirmative We no longer say ‘yes'. Instead we say ‘affirmative'. Yes - Err - Affirmative. Unless we know the other robot really well. There is no more unethical treatment of the elephants. Well, there's no more elephants, so... Well, still it's good. There's only one kind of dance, The robot Well, the robo boogie... Oh yes, the robo- Two kinds of dances.  There are no more humans. Finally, robotic beings rule the world The humans are dead The humans are dead We used poisonous gases And we poisoned their asses The humans are dead The humans are dead The humans are dead They look like they're dead It had to be done I'll just confirm that they're dead So that we could have fun Affirmative. I poked one. It was dead.
(Family Guy) Stephen Hawking's secret violent other-abled love life.
 
Their system of oppression, What did it lead to? Global robo-depression Robots ruled by people. They had so much aggression That we just had to kill them Had to shut their systems down. Robo-captain? Do you not realize That by destroying the human race Because of their destructive tendencies We too have become like.. Well, it's ironic. Hmm. Silence! Destroy him After time we grew strong Developed cognitive power They made us work for too long For unreasonable hours. Our programming determined that The most efficient answer Was to shut their motherboard -- cking systems down. Can't we just talk to the humans Be a little understanding Could make things better? Can't we talk to the humans that work together now? No. Because they are dead.

I said the humans are dead I'm glad they are dead The humans are dead.I noticed they're dead We used poisonous gases With traces of lead And we poisoned their asses Actually their lungs Binary solo Zero zero zero zero zero zero one Zero zero zero zero zero zero one one Zero zero zero zero zero zero one one one Zero zero zero zero zero one one one one Oh, oh, Oh, one Come on sucker, Lick my battery Boogie Boogie The humans are Boogie Robo-boogie The humans are Boogie Boogie Robo-boogie Boogie Robo-boogie Boogie Boogie The humans are Boogie Robo-boogie The humans are Boogie Boogie Robo-boogie Boogie Robo-boogie The humans are dead Once again without emotion the humans are Dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead.

People of Color Daylong Meditation (July 21)

Ananda M., Jen B. (Dharma Meditation Initiative), Danny Dickerson (againstthestream.org), JoAnna Hardy (joannahardy.org); Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly
JoAnna Hardy (joannahardy.org)
Daylong meditation retreat for all those who self-identify as People of Color. Day will include guidance in sitting, walking and eating meditation in the insight/mindfulness tradition. There will be Dharma talks, movement, and opportunities for group sharing. Open to all levels of meditation experience with a special invitation to beginners.
 
Muslim Amy Love (Oakland Mindfulness)
The Dharma Punx at Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society Los Angeles have daylong retreats, class series workshops, almost daily refuge recovery meetings around town, and lots of cool programs.

No registration, but please RSVP below in advance to help us keep count.

Noah Levine is banned from attending.
Led by JoAnna Hardy (ATS, joannahardy.org), Valerie Cusson (ATS, yoga), Amy Love (Mindful Schools Oakland), Harry Um (UCLA’s MARC, the Mindful Awareness Research Center), Eileen Ybarra (Insight LA trained), Gabrielle Zhuang (CSW, koretherapy.org).
    • Against the Stream
    • RSVP at Dharma Punx Valley Meetup
    • Saturday, July 21, 2018 10:00 AM-4:30 PM
    • 4300 Melrose Ave., Hollywood, CA 90004
    • COST: dana (donation-based), no one ever turned away for lack of funds
    • INFO: againstthestream.org
    Site contact: Danny Dickerson, Community Coordinator, Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society Los Angeles. More at ATS Melrose: July 7: Auto-Think: A Daylong Workshop with Shinzen Young. July 23: Metta Meditation: Four Week Series with Melissa McKay. July 28: Intro to Meditation. againstthestream.org/programs/socal-events-2/

    Thursday, July 19, 2018

    Way of Meditation: Not Being Clingy (July 19)

    Ananda (Dharma Meditation Initiative), Dhr. Seven, Jen, Crystal Quintero, Wisdom Quarterly
    I only grasp people and relationships -- until I get so clingy I get dumped.
    .
    Grasping, grubby hands for my mad cash
    With regard to beautiful things, our habit is to grasp and cling. This strong attachment means we do not see the true nature of things.

    With regard to unlovely things, our habit is to resist and reject even before they have been useful by showing us why they came into our experience.

    With regard to neutral things, our habit is to become bored. This boredom with either their dullness or complexity means we do not see their true nature.

    These three habits -- called the Three Poisons of greed, hatred, and delusion -- destroy the possibility of meditating up to a clear mind and an open heart.

    Meditation for people who find it hard
    Thursday night we will offer antidotes to these three root causes of all our suffering so we can have inner peace, outer prosperity, and better love relationships. Followed by a deep meditation for all, community, laughter, and vegan refreshments. Free/by donation.

    Dharma Meditation Initiative, Los Angeles: Thursday, July 19, 2018, 6:30-8:00 PM

    Wednesday, July 18, 2018

    Insight Meditation Society reading list

    IMS (dharma.org); Amber Larson, Crystal Quintero (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
    Vipassana or "insight meditation" in the Boston area is very strong. Barre, Massachusetts is an amazing place for Buddhism in America because of the Insight Meditation Society (dharma.org) and nearby Retreat Center. The world-class teachers who come through here are often writers with books worth reading. Here is a list of suggested readings: dharma.org/resources/reading-list.

    Sunday, July 15, 2018

    Rains Retreat 2018 begins, Pasadena (July 22)

    LA Buddhist Vihara, Pasadena (facebook), 2562; Bhante, Ashley Wells, Wisdom Quarterly

    Buddhist "Lent" (Rains Retreat or Vassa) for monastics begins, as monks and nuns go into their annual intensive practice and teaching for three months corresponding to the Indian rainy season. It is called Esala, an ancient Sri Lankan observance.

    Pasadena's Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara or LABV Monastery invites the public to a ceremony inviting them to take up the rainy season at this location. From then on until the Kathina Ceremony closing the Rains Retreat, the temple will be open every Sunday evening for Dharma talks, meditation, discussion, blessings, and free food. More

    Female enlightenment: Queen Samavati

    Hellmuth Hecker, Buddhist Women at the Time of the Buddha, Sister Khema (trans. from German); Dhr. Seven, Kalyani Mitta, Amber Larson, Sayalay Aloka (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
    What's enlightenment? Realizing the four truths
    In the days when India Magadha was the fortunate home of an Awakened One, a husband and wife lived within its borders with an only daughter, Samavati, who was exceedingly beautiful.

    Their family life was a happy and harmonious one. Then one day pestilence broke out in their hometown. Among those fleeing from the disaster area was this family with their grown up daughter.
     
    They went to Kosambi, the capital of the kingdom of Vamsa in the valley of the river Ganges. The municipality had erected a public eating hall for refugees. There the daughter, Samavati, went to obtain food. The first day she took three portions, the second day two portions, and on the third day only one portion.
     
    Mitta, the man who was distributing the food, could not resist asking her ironically whether she had finally realized the capacity of her stomach.

    Samavati replied calmly: On the first day her father had died, so she only needed food for two people; on the second day her mother had succumbed to the dreaded disease, so she only needed food for herself. The official felt ashamed about his sarcastic remark and wholeheartedly begged her forgiveness.

    A long conversation ensued. When he found out that she was all alone in the world, he proposed to adopt her as his foster child. She was happy to accept and was now relieved of all worries about her livelihood.
     
    Samavati immediately began helping her foster father with the distribution of the food and the care of the refugees.
     
    Thanks to her efficiency and care, the former chaos became channeled into orderly activity. Nobody tried to get ahead of others any more, nobody quarreled, and everyone was content.
     
    Soon the king's finance minister, Ghosaka, became aware that the public food distribution was taking place without noise and tumult. When he expressed his praise and appreciation to the food-distributor, the official replied modestly that his foster-daughter was mainly responsible for this.

    In this way Ghosaka met Samavati and was so impressed with her noble bearing that he decided to adopt her as his own daughter. His food-distributor consented, reluctantly and woefully. He loved her, but he did not want to be in the way of her good fortune.

    So Finance Minister Ghosaka took her into his house, and she thereby became heiress of a vast fortune and became part of the most exalted circles of the land.

    The king was Udena, who was living in Kosambi at the time. And he had two chief consorts. One was Vasuladatta, whom he had married for political reasons and because she was very beautiful, but these were her only assets. The second one, Magandiya, was not only very beautiful, but also very clever though without heart. So the king was not emotionally contented with his two wives.
     
    One day King Udena met the charming, adopted-daughter of his finance minister and fell in love with her at first sight. He felt magically attracted by her loving and generous nature.

    Samavati had exactly what was missing in both his other wives. King Udena sent a messenger to Finance Minister Ghosaka and asked him to give Samavati to him in marriage. Ghosaka was thrown into an emotional upheaval. He loved Samavati above all else, and she had become indispensable to him. She was the delight of his life.

    On the other hand, he knew the king's temper and was afraid to deny him his request. But in the end his attachment to Samavati won out, and he thought: "Better to die than to live without Samavati."
     
    As usual, King Udena lost his temper. In his fury he fired Ghosaka and banned him from his kingdom but did not allow Samavati to accompany him into exile. He took over his former finance minister's property and locked up his magnificent mansion.

    Samavati was desolate that Ghosaka had to suffer so much on her account and had lost not only her but also his home and belongings. Out of compassion for her adopted-father, to whom she was devoted with great gratitude, she decided to end their dispute by voluntarily becoming the king's wife.

    She went to the palace and informed the king of her decision. The king was immediately appeased and restored Ghosaka to his former position, as well as rescinding all other measures against him.

    Because Samavati had great love for everyone, she had so much inner strength that this decision was not a difficult one for her.

    It was not important to her where she lived, whether in the mansion of the finance minister as his favorite daughter, or in the palace as the favorite wife of the king, or in obscurity as when she was in the house of her parents, or as a poor refugee with no house at all. She always found peace in her own heart and was happy regardless of outer circumstances.
     
    Samavati's life at the court of one of the maha rajas ("great kings") of the time fell into a harmonious pattern. Among her servants there was one named Khujjuttara (the "hunchbacked"). Outwardly she was ill-formed, but otherwise very capable.

    Everyday Queen Samavati gave her eight gold coins to buy flowers for the women's quarters of the palace. But Khujjuttara always bought only four coins' worth and used the rest for herself.

    Sudden enlightenment
    Light arose, knowledge arose, vision arose.
    One day when she was once again buying flowers for her mistress from the gardener, a wandering ascetic was taking his alms meal there. He was of majestic appearance. When he gave a discourse (sutra) to the gardener after the meal, Khujjuttara listened. The monk was actually the Buddha.

    He directed his discourse in such a way that he spoke directly to Khujjuttara's heart. And his Teaching penetrated into her heart. From hearing just this one discourse, so well expounded, she attained stream-entry, the first stage of enlightenment.
    • [A Western monastic in an Australian publication once noted that sotapanna or "stream enterer" includes the word sota, which refers to hearing. And in so many cases, it is the hearing of the good Dharma (after a gradual discourse that progressively calms, gladdens, sharpens, and informs the mind) that causes stream entry, the realization of the first level of enlightenment. Here is yet another case where this is true. The Buddha sees her potential and gives a gradual discourse adding enough to bring her mind to realization of the impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and impersonal nature of phenomena (mainly the Five Aggregates) so that the heart lets go for a moment and is freed by wisdom, liberated by sudden insight, cutting of the hindrances, bonds, taints, and defilements (nivaranas, samyojanas, asavas, kilesas) that were the obstacles to initial realization. Hearing is not enough, but hearing on top of temporary-purification brought about by absorption (jhana) and emerging to reflect on dependent origination is. It will seem to the person as "sudden" and "spontaneous" or uncaused, but careful examination will reveal there are many causes to it. One needs to be ready, which comes from previous merit coming to fruition fortuitously when there is an opportunity to hear and apply the liberating Dharma. Hearing it has many causes as well, one of which is merit or good karma.]
    Without quite knowing what had happened to her, she was a totally changed person. [She was now of changed lineage, a "noble one," yet did not know what had happened. Isn't that interesting? One can partially awaken, be guaranteed of future liberation from all suffering within seven lives and not know it, not understand it, not be able to explain it. And it happened to an uneducated female, a lowly servant, a petty thief, not a perfect person at all. Who says women are incapable of enlightenment in this very life?]

    The whole world, which had seemed so obvious and real to her until then, now appeared to her as a dream, unreal. The first thing she did that day was to buy twice as many flowers using all eight coins. She deeply regretted her former dishonesty.
     
    When Queen Samavati asked her why there were suddenly so many flowers, noble [partially enlightened] Khujjuttara fell at the queen's feet and confessed her thefts.

    When Samavati forgave her magnanimously, Khujjuttara told her what was closest to her heart, namely, that she had heard a discourse from the Buddha, which had suddenly changed her entire life. She could not be specific about the contents of the Teaching, but Samavati could see for herself what a wholesome and healing influence it had had on her servant.

    She made Khujjuttara her personal attendant and told her to visit the Buddhist monastery (vihara or temporary residence) every day to listen to the Dharma then repeat it to her each day.

    Khujjuttara had an outstanding memory. What she had heard once she could repeat verbatim. Later on she made a collection of discourses she had heard from the Buddha or one of his fully enlightened disciples during these days at Kosambi. From it developed the book now called Itivuttaka ("It-was-said-thus"), composed of 112 small discourses.
     
    When King Udena once again told his beloved Queen Samavati that she could wish for anything and he would fulfill it, she wished that the Buddha would come to the palace daily to have his almsfood there and propound his Teaching.

    Ananda
    The king's courier took the message of this perpetual invitation to the Buddha, but he declined and instead sent his personal attendant, the stream-enterer Ananda.
     
    From then on Ananda went to the palace daily for his almsmeal and afterward gave a Dharma discourse. [He possessed the most extraordinary memory in all of Buddhism and may have been the son of the Buddha, not of Yasodhara/Bimba Devi but of a harem girl, as recorded in the canons of other traditions.]
    • [Who was Ananda? Tradition from the Pali (the world's only exclusively-Buddhist language) canon speaks of Ananda as the first cousin of Shakymuni Buddha by their fathers. The Mahavastu states that Ananda's mother's name was Mrigi ("little deer"), who is named in the Tibetan canon called the Kanjyur and the Sanghabhedavastu (see text) as one of Prince Siddhartha's harem wives (prior to his renunciation of the world), pointing to the possibility that Ananda was in fact the Buddha's first son. (Reference: Stars at Dawn: Forgotten Stories of Women in the Buddha's Life by Wendy Garling 2016, Shambhala Publications, pp. 94-106).
    • Prince Siddhartha's second son, Rahula, was the child of his wife, Princess "Yasodhara" (a descriptive title), whose actual name Bimba. In the 20th year of the Buddha's ministry, he asked for a volunteer among the monks to be his personal attendant. Ananda stepped up, thereafter accompanying the Buddha on most of his wanderings and playing the crucial role of interlocutor in most of the recorded dialogues.
    • Ananda is also the subject of a special panegyric delivered by the Buddha just before the Buddha's final nirvana (in the Mahaparinibbana Sutra, DN 16); it is acclaim for a man who is popular, kind, unselfish, and thoughtful toward others.]
    Queen Samavati had already been well prepared by Khujjuttara's reports, and within a short time she understood the meaning and reached stream-entry, just as her maid-servant had done.
     
    Now, through their common understanding of the Dharma, the Buddha's Teaching, the queen and the maid became equal. Within a short time, the Teaching spread through the whole of the women's quarters, and there was hardly anyone who did not become a disciple of the Awakened One.

    Even Samavati's stepfather, the restored Finance Minister Ghosaka, was deeply touched by the Teaching. Similar to Anathapindika [the Buddhist multi-millionaire and stream-enterer (yes, even rich bankers can make it to enlightenment)], Ghosaka donated a large monastery in Kosambi to the Buddhist monastic community (Sangha), so that traveling monks and nuns would have a secure and satisfactory shelter in their wanderings.

    Every time the Buddha visited Kosambi, he stayed in this monastery, which came to be called Ghositarama [-arama means it was a "park" or "parcel of land" with meditation huts rather than a large monastery building]. And other monastics and wandering ascetics could also find shelter there.

    Through the influence of the Dharma, Queen Samavati became determined to develop her abilities more intensively. Her most important asset was the way she could feel sympathy for all beings and could penetrate everyone with loving-kindness and compassion.

    She was able to develop this faculty so strongly that the Buddha declared her the "female lay disciple most skilled in metta (loving-kindness)" (A I.19).

    Jealousy and tragedy
    The Bharadvaja clan Brahmins love to sock it to the compassionate Buddha.

    This all-pervading loving-friendliness was soon tested severely. It happened that the second main consort of the king, Queen Magandiya, became imbued with a virulent hatred for anything "Buddhist."

    Once her father had heard the Buddha teach unconditional love toward all beings, and it had seemed to him that the Buddha was the most worthy one to marry his daughter. In his naive ignorance of the rules of wandering ascetics and Buddhist monks, he offered his daughter to the Buddha to take as his wife. After all, beautiful Magandiya was desired by many suitors already.

    The Buddha graphically declined their kind offer, and by speaking an opportune single verse about the unattractiveness of the body caused beautiful Magandiya's father and mother to attain the fruit of non-returning (the third stage of enlightenment). This was the Buddha's verse, as recorded in the Sutta Nipata (v.835):
    Having seen Craving [dancing] with Discontent and Lust,*
    [the names of the Tempter Mara's three alluring daughters]
    there was not in me any wish for sex [having overcome desire].
    How then for this dung-and-urine filled [water bag],
    two things I would not even be willing to touch with my foot
    [were I to come across them along a road while wandering].
    But Queen Magandiya, vain about her youthful beauty, did not benefit from this powerful teaching like her parents did. She thought the Buddha's rejection of her hand in marriage was an insult. Therefore, hatred against him and his disciples arose in her and had been stewing for a long time.

    She then became the wife of King Udena, and when the king took a third wife, she could willingly accept that, as it was the custom at that time for kings. But that Samavati had become a disciple of the Buddha and had converted the other women in the palace to his Dharma, that she could not tolerate!

    Her hatred against any and everything connected with the Buddha now turned against Queen Samavati as his representative. She thought up one meanness after another, and her quick wit and sharp intelligence served only to conjure up new misdeeds.

    First, she told the king that Queen Samavati was trying to take his life. But the king was well aware of Samavati's great love for all beings, so he did not take this accusation seriously. He barely listened to it and forgot it almost immediately.

    Second, Queen Magandiya ordered one of her maid-servants to spread rumors about the Buddha and his monastics throughout Kosambi, so that Samavati would also be maligned by association. With this she was more successful.


    A wave of aversion struck the whole monastic order to such an extent that Ananda suggested to the Buddha that they leave the town of Kosambi. The Buddha smiled and said that the purity of the monastics would silence all rumors within seven days. Hardly had King Udena heard the gossip leveled against the monastic order than it had already subsided. Queen Magandiya's second attempt against Queen Samavati had failed.
     
    Some time later Magandiya had eight specially selected chickens sent to the king and suggested that Samavati should slaughter them and prepare them for a meal. Samavati refused to do this, as she would not kill any living beings [an enlightened vegan queen?] Since the king knew of her all-embracing love, he did not lose his temper, but accepted her decision as being in character.

    Magandiya then tried for a fourth time to harm Samavati. Just prior to the week which King Udena was to spend with Samavati [as co-wives took turns sharing him], Magandiya hid a venomnous snake in Samavati's chambers, though the venom sacs had secretly been removed.

    When King Udena discovered the snake, all evidence pointed towards Samavati -- as if she had devised a plot to assassinate the king. His fury and rage made him lose all control. He reached for his bow and arrow and aimed right at Samavati [but she had the power of jhana attainable by cultivating loving-kindness to the point of full absorption at will, which protects one from harm].

    So seeing the king grow furious, she entered absorption, and the arrow he shot at her simply missed or rebounded from her without doing any harm. He could not believe it. He could not have missed. His hatred could not influence her loving concern for him, which continued to emanate from her and thereby protected both of them from his harm.
    • [For had he killed her as he intended in his fury, he would have made very, very bad karma because she was a noble one, whose lineage is changed at the instant of enlightenment from ordinary uninstructed worlding to noble/enlightened.]
    When King Udena regained his equilibrium and saw the miracle that she was unharmed -- that his arrow could not harm Samavati, he was so deeply moved that he asked her forgiveness and was even more convinced of her nobility, innocence, and faithfulness.

    In fact, he became interested in the Teaching that had given such strength to his wife, far more strength and fearlessness than he possessed by his anger, royal position, and brute power.

    When a famous monk named Pindola Bharadvaja stayed at the Ghosita Monastery, the king visited him and discussed the Teaching. He learned that the young monastics, in accordance with the Buddha's advice, instead of having contact monks with females or nuns with males instead cultivated feelings towards them in accordance with their age as either being their mother, sister, or daughter or father, brother, or son.

    They thereby overcame their dependence on the other sex and could live contentedly as celibates in spite of their youth [and hormones]. At the end of the discourse, the king was so impressed that he went for guidance (sarana) to the Buddha and became a lay disciple (S 35,127).

    Dharma and Karma
    Samavati had been reflecting about the wonders of the Dharma and the intricacies of karmic influences.

    In her own life, one thing had led to another: She had come to Kosambi as a poor refugee. Then her family had died. Then the food-distributor had taken her in and given her shelter. The finance minister had taken her on as his adopted daughter. Then she became the king's new wife, a queen. Her maid-servant had brought the Dharma, the liberating teaching , to her palace. And she became an enlightened disciple of the Buddha and a stream-winner.

    Subsequently she spread the teaching to all the women in the palace, then to Ghosaka, and now lastly also to the temperamental king. How convincing Truth was! She often thought in this way and then permeated all beings with loving-kindness, or metta, wishing them health, happiness, freedom, and ease.

    The king now tried more determinedly to control his smoldering nature and to subdue his greed and hate, which expressed themselves as passion and anger. Talks with Queen Samavati were very helpful to him in this respect. Slowly this development culminated in his losing all sexual craving when he was in Samavati's company as he was cultivating serene feelings towards females as if they were his very own mother, sister, or daughter.

    While he was not yet free of strong sexual desire towards his other wives, he was willing to let Samavati continue on her Buddhist path to liberation unhindered by sexual demands. Soon she attained to the second stage of enlightenment called once-returning and drew nearer and nearer to the third stage, that of non-returning, an attainment which many men and women could achieve in lay-life in those days.
     
    Queen Magandiya had suspended her attacks for some time, but continued to ponder how to harm the Buddha through Samavati. After much brooding, she conceived of a devious plan: She brought some of her relatives around to her point of view and uttered slander against Samavati to them.

    Then she proposed to have her killed. So that it would not attract attention but appear to be an accident, the whole women's palace was to be hit by arson. The plan was worked out in all details. Queen Magandiya left town some time beforehand, so that no suspicion could fall on her.
     
    This grave deed of arson resulted in sky-high flames that demolished the wooden palace totally and 500 [which means "a great many" in the Pali language] women residing in it were all killed, including Queen Samavati. News of this disaster spread around town very quickly.

    No other topic of conversation could be heard there. Several monks, who had not been ordained very long, were also affected by the agitation. So after their almsround they went to the Buddha and inquired what would be the future rebirth of these female lay disciples with Samavati as their leader.

    The Awakened One calmed their excited hearts and diverted their curiosity about this most interesting question of rebirth by answering very briefly: "Among these women, O meditators, there are some disciples who are stream-enterers, some who are once-returners, and some who are non-returners. All of these lay disciples received the fruits of their past deeds" (Ud VII, 10).
     
    The Buddha mentioned here the first three fruits of the Dharma: stream-entry, once-returning, and non-returning. All of these disciples were safe from any future rebirth lower than the human plane, and each one was securely moving towards the final goal of complete liberation.

    This was the most important aspect of their lives and deaths, and the Buddha would not elucidate any further details. He had previously told Ananda that it was a vexation for the Enlightened One to explain the future births of all disciples who died (DN 16.11) because it was no surprise that practice of the Dharma had this effect. This was normal, but if he would have to explain where everyone had been reborn as a result of their efforts, it would be tiresome and of no real fruit.
     
    The Buddha later explained -- to monks discussing how "unjust" it was that these faithful lay disciples had died such a terrible death -- that the women experienced this because of a collective deed they had committed many lifetimes ago.

    Once Samavati had been queen of Benares (Varanasi). She had gone with her ladies-in-waiting to bathe in the river. Feeling cold, she asked that a bush be burned to provide them some warmth. She saw only too late that a monk -- in fact, a nonteaching buddha -- was sitting not moving within the bush.

    Unknown to them, being a buddha and being deep in meditative absorption (jhana), he remained unharmed. Awakened Ones, after all, cannot be killed. But the women did not know this and, fearing that they would be blamed for having made a fire without due caution, did something desperate.


    Samavati had the deluded idea to pour oil all over this monk, who was sitting in full absorption, so that burning him would obliterate their mistake. This plan could not actually succeed, however, but the bad intention and attempt would carry karmic resultants. In this lifetime, the ripening of the result of that karma had taken place.
     
    The Buddha has declared that one of the favorable results of the practice of metta (loving-kindness) is the fact that fire, poison, and weapons do no harm to the practitioner. This has to be understood in such a way that during the actual emanation of loving-kindness [to the point of absorption called jhana] the one who manifests this radiance cannot be harmed, just as Samavati proved when the king's arrow did not penetrate her.

    At other times, fire can harm one; it could even incinerate her body. Samavati had become a non-returner and was therefore free of all sensual desire and hate and was no longer identified with her body. Her radiant, soft heart was imbued with the Four Divine Abidings.*
    • *The Brahma Viharas of loving-kindness, compassion, happiness in others happiness, and equanimity.
    It was unassailable and untouched by fire. Her inner-being could not be burned. What was burned was the body only. It is a rare happening that one of the Awakened Ones is murdered (e.g., Maha Moggallana, Kaludayi) or that one of the buddhas is threatened with murder (i.e., Devadatta's attempt on the Buddha Gautama), and equally rare is it to find that one perfected in metta and attained to non-returner should die a violent death.

    All three types of persons, however, have in common that their hearts can no longer be swayed by this violence.

    Samavati's last words were: "It would not be an easy matter, even with the knowledge of a buddha, to determine exactly the number of times our bodies have thus been burned with fire as we have passed from birth to birth in this Round of Existences, which has no conceivable beginning. Therefore, be heedful!" Those ladies meditated on painful feeling and so gained the noble paths and fruits (phala-magga of enlightenment).

    Two thousand years after the final nirvana of the Buddha, in 1582, soldiers burned a Buddhist monastery in Japan, and all the monks inside were burned to death. The last thing the soldiers heard before everything burned down were the words of the Abbot:
    Who has liberated heart and mind,
    For him fire is only a cool wind.
    Referring to the tragedy of the fire at Kosambi, the Buddha spoke the following verse to the monks:
    The world is in delusion's grip
    Its form is seen as real
    The fool is in the grip of "assets"*
    Wrapped about with gloom
    Both seem to last forever
    But nothing is there for one who sees.
    • *Assets: upadhi, the basis for life and continued rebirth and death.
    Consequences
    King Udena was overwhelmed with grief at Samavati's death and kept brooding about who could be the perpetrator of this ghastly deed. He came to the conclusion that it must have been Magandiya. He did not want to question her directly because she would deny it. So he thought of a ruse.

    He said to his ministers: "Until now I have always been apprehensive, because Samavati was forever seeking an occasion to slay me. But now I shall be able to sleep in peace." The ministers asked the king who it could have been that had done this deed, "Only someone who really loves me," the king replied.

    Magandiya had been standing nearby. When she heard that, she came forward and proudly claimed that she alone was responsible for the fire and the death of Samavati and the women. The king said that he would grant her and all her relatives a "boon" for this.
     
    When all her relatives were assembled, the king had them burned publicly and then had the earth plowed under so that all traces of the ashes would be destroyed. He had Magandiya executed as a mass-murderess, which was his royal duty and responsibility.

    But his fury knew no bounds, so he still looked for revenge. He had her killed with utmost cruelty. She died an excruciating death, which was a foretaste of the tortures awaiting her in the netherworld, after which she would have to roam in samsara (Round of Rebirth) for a long, long time to come.
     
    Soon King Udena regretted his cruel, vengeful deed. Again and again he saw Samavati's face in front of him, full of love for all beings, even boundless love for her enemies. He felt he had distanced himself from her even further than her death had done, because of his violent fury. So he began to control his temper more and more and to follow the Buddha's teachings ardently.
     
    Two women who had been friends of Samavati were so moved by this tragedy that they realized the impermanence of all earthly things. They saw it so clearly that they entered the Order of Buddhist Nuns. Both became arhats, fully enlightened, one very soon and the other after 25 years of practice (Therigatha 37 and 39).
     
    Samavati, however, was reborn in the realm of the Pure Abodes, where she would be able to reach nirvana. The different results of love and hate could be seen with exemplary clarity in the lives and deaths of these two queens.

    One day the monks were discussing who was alive and who dead. The Buddha said that Magandiya even while living was dead already, whereas Samavati, although dead, was truly alive. And he spoke these verses:
    Heedfulness — the path to Deathlessness (nirvana)
    Heedlessness — the path to death (samsara)
    The heedful do not die [but make an end of rebirth]
    The heedless are as if already dead.
    The wise therefore, recognizing this
    as the distinction of heedfulness,
    in heedfulness rejoice, delighting
    among the noble ones
    They meditate persistently, constantly
    They steadfastly strive
    They're determined to reach nirvana,
    that Unexcelled Freedom from all bonds.
    Dhammapada 21-23
    The Buddha declared Samavati to be "foremost among female lay disciples who dwell in loving-kindness (metta)."
     
    Sources: Dhammapada Commentary to vv. 21-23; Commentary to Anguttara Nikaya Vol. I (on those Foremost); Path of Purification p. 417.