Showing posts with label Hugging Saint. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hugging Saint. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Plant 5K trees in LA for Jane Goodall

They're taking our trees, Jane, and our babies need them! - I'll get them back, Friends.

Make a difference
"California Treeams.") Trees for Jane wants to thank everyone for their support for Trees for Jane! As of March 2022, if anyone wants to follow Jane Goodall (RIP) on her journey to save our forests and climate, visit Jane’s Green Hope a project of the Jane Goodall Institute.

Celebrate Earth Day and Dr. Jane Goodall’s birthday on April 3rd and all month long throughout April.

Earth Day evolves to Earth Month
Let’s celebrate Earth Day and a woman who for over 60 years inspired and motivated millions of people across the world to live in greater harmony with nature and to take action on behalf of the planet we share with plants and animals.

Compelled by Dr. Goodall’s mission to live sustainably and with vegetarian compassion, we look with new hope for a brighter, greener future.

As she has shared, one of the most resilient and impressive forces on Earth is contained within the seeds of plant life, which can break through walls and always find a way. More: janegoodall.org

Friday, July 12, 2024

Amma, the Hugging Saint, in SoCal (7/13)


Does hugging trees help them like it helps me?
Amma (India's Mata Amritanandamayi) is world famous for her compassion, distributing free hugs around the world. She has hugged more people than anyone else in the world. She is on a campaign wishing, "May all beings everywhere be happy," the Buddha's own sentiments of universal loving-kindness (metta).
How to join the hug line | amma.org
She is on an annual tour and is coming to Southern California to meet anyone in need of a blessing. It is good to see such beings [as have attained samadhi, which in Buddhism refers to anyone who has mastered the meditative absorptions, which would make them "saints" in most of the world's religions, including Hinduism, but very much excluding Buddhism.

A "saint" or arhat in Buddhism is anyone who has reach stream entry or beyond through insight or vipassana. Only this higher seeing uproots the defilements and liberates one, whereas the absorptions merely temporarily suppress them and make one seem saintly for the time being.

Ancient Vedic seers (rishis) inherited by Hinduism

Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen monk, uses his arm.
This distinction was one of the great contributions of the Buddha to the Dharmic religions and spirituality in ancient India.] Nevertheless, it is still good and a blessing to see beings who have gained samadhi. This may include Amma, who has done so many wonderful and selfless things that it is possible she has gained super-consciousness.

Amma in Los Angeles [actually neighboring Orange County] - Summer 2024 | amma.org

The FREE programs on July 13 and July 16 include inspirational music, meditation, spiritual discourse, and personal blessings. See us.amma.org/macla for more details or contact (310) 295-1852.

Amma is also conducting a retreat between July 14-16, 2024. It will also be held at the site of the free hugs:
  • Hyatt Regency
  • 17900 Jamboree Road
  • Irvine, California, 92614
  • Info: us.amma.org
Free to RSVP:

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Tree Hugger Julia Butterfly Hill saved Luna

Rian Dundon (timeline.com, 2017); Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, Xochitl (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Book review: The Legacy of Luna by Julia Butterfly Hill (Creatively United Community)

Butterfly atop Luna in Northern California
On December 10, 1997, barefoot environmental activist [and super heroine] Julia “Butterfly” Hill climbed up a 600-year-old, 200-foot-tall redwood tree in a remote corner of Northern California and stayed there for 738 days.

Finding Mother Tree (S. Simard)
A native of Arkansas, Butterfly had teamed up with Earth First!, a group of by-any-means-necessary, redneck-hippie eco-warriors best known for its legally dubious “monkey-wrenching” protest tactics.

Butterfly, however, brought a Zen-like mysticism to the movement, and her motivation for occupying the tree, dubbed “Luna” (“anyone that would climb this high is a lunatic,” she later explained), was as much about spirituality as it was politics.


This isn't "Luna" but another wonderful redwood
“There’s no way to be in the presence of these ancient beings and not be affected,” the exhausted 24-year-old told a group of reporters after descending the tree in December 1999.

“There’s something more than profit, and that’s life.” People had been tree sitting before Butterfly came along. But she ushered in a new sense of urgency and determination, the likes of which were completely irresistible to the press.

The General Sherman (Sequoia Nat'l Park)
Between riding out torrential El Niño storms and freezing winds from her precarious 8-by-8-foot plywood perch, she conducted radio interviews via solar-powered cell phone, and hosted reporters and photographers willing to make the two-hour climb to her rustic penthouse.

On Earth Day in 1999, Joan Baez and Bonnie Raitt even dropped by. Baez called the visit “one of the most remarkable experiences of my life.” More

Friday, November 18, 2022

Gisele Bündchen: Mindfulness, Meaningful Life

Wisdom 2.0; Kelly Ani, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Mindfulness and a Meaningful Life | Gisele Bündchen with Anderson Cooper
Life lessons: Let's all hug more (elle.com)
(Wisdom 2.0) Giselle Bundchen was at Wisdom 2.0's 2018 Mindfulness in America Summit in New York City (posted May 28, 2019), where she spoke to celebrity TV journalist Anderson Cooper. Find more at wisdom2conference.com.

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Happiness and Hugging Meditation (Nov. 29)

Ananda M. (Dharma Meditation Initiative), Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly


The secret to happiness is to get off of addictive dopamine (dope derived from the use of our cell phones, social media, white sugar, etc.)

Dr. Lustig's scientific research
Instead, we get onto serotonin, as Dr. Robert Lustig, MD's research amply shows (robertlustig.com/4cs).

Buddhist meditation is founded on long-term happiness, contentment, and a kind of supersensual bliss called piti that corresponds to Dr. Lustig's findings.

There are The Four C's to apply. One of them is to connect face to face, seeing others deeply, hugging.
  • Happiness and Hugging Meditation
  • FREE, 7:00-8:30 PM, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018
  • Dharma Meditation Initiative, Los Angeles
  • Neighborhood Church, 301 N. Orange Grove, Pasadena
Dharma Meditation Initiative - MARC UCLA- Disclosure Project - Dharma Punx

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Star visits the "Hugging Saint" in Los Angeles

Star edited by Jen B. (Dharma Meditation Initiative) and Crystal Quintero, Wisdom Quarterly



I feel this could be for almost any group. They could go or meet there, share the experience, then days after June 14th, when Amma is moved on to her next tour destination, they could meet to share their experience and how it compares.

In the case of a Buddhist group, since Amma is universally inviting, they could sit together, doing silent meditation on anything peaceful, while waiting for their Amma embrace.

The Buddha hugs his son(s), Rahula and Ananda.
While they wait they could eat together, gather aside out of audible range so as not to disturb the main happenings, and have their own conversations.

They could get literature, sit in a close circle and speak about the mix of similarities and difference, speculating: Would the original Buddha have been a "hugging saint" embracing as a form of Hindu darhsan transmission of sacred blessings and healing positive energy?

It's good vibes with veggie food, vegan options, all low priced, so they could feast and enjoy the peaceful music and have their own Buddhist conversations, all while waiting for their turns to hug. They could get tickets in a row to wait in line as a group and get their hugs together. They could even tell Amma via the translator of their group, its noble intentions of compassion and raising awareness, teaching, wise guidance.
 
Amma might smile and giggle and speak in guidance and praise and blessing. A Buddhist group might arrange an event to all go gather at a vegan cafe or restaurant for a feast with peace-loving wisdom and inspirational conversations before the meal.

Then why not a similar group event at this annual cultural and spiritual event with music? The spiritual discourses in English between programs could be food for thought and later be used as a platform for comparing Buddhist teachings, aligned and diverging?

As for the imperfection of my writing, anyone is welcome to compare it with their own. Each truth seeker can then opt to seek, returning to future meetings after Amma has transformed and uplifted them. They might be peaceful forevermore and ready for Buddhist meditations. So yeah, I personally feel everybody ought to hug Amma least once in life.

I believe Amma wishes to hug every single human on earth at least once. It's an enriching experience to bring children. As a metaphor, imagine an Old World European with dozens of children, a child delivery a year. A mother might have 20 children and offer ALL of them hugs all their lives, whenever they want. That's unconditional motherly love.

Even if all 20 kids went on differing life paths, she would be left alone.

But Amma -- maybe because of her fearless loving saintliness can rub off and make everyone stronger and better versions of themselves. Amma could hug that mother.

I had one girlfriend who united with me in her higher holy woman state of being. She was vegan, free of toxins, straight edge, clean, sober, and smoke-free.

She told me she used to be in a popular band, the singer. She got many generous offers of free alcohol, drugs, and she felt she was becoming some kind of addict. She was going downhill on a bad path.

She was worried she would commit vehicular manslaughter in a DUI. She had noticed in her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, news stories of intoxicated drivers killing and maiming innocent people and animals on the road.

Someone invited her to see Amma. She got a hug, and it transformed her instantly into a pure, sacred holy woman with zero interest in intoxicants. She gained the power to say NO to negative offers.

I have pretty high standards, and when I met her she was already well established in a high level of self-control, so she qualified to be my girlfriend. I was very lucky.

If the legendary saints of all religions were to suddenly manifest on earth and offer personal, close, direct contact and special darhsan blessings to everybody on earth, I bet I wouldn't be the only one to run to encounter each and everyone of them.

Noble friendship, wise association, good company, satsang/sangat ("sacred fellowship") is one of the keys to the spiritual path. Maybe the simplest key in Buddhism is compassion (karuna). Well, Amma hugs fearlessly, hugs everybody, hugs with no worries about contagious diseases.

Perhaps Amma feels her higher vibration of pure, divine, loving light automatically disarms the darkness. Maybe it's a positive contagion that's infectious in our hearts and minds, our spirits (breath). Its power is for the greater good.

If the editors of Wisdom Quarterly ever compose books of true knowledge and wisdom, I'd love to hear them on CD, unabridged audio books. I ask that all authors use their own voice for audio books, at least for conscious authors.

Author Terry Brooks consulted me when he'd written only two books and subsequently wrote another 22. Neale Donald Walsch owes me half his fortune: I was the instrument the holy spirit used to help him many times in many ways in Ashland, Oregon. I uplifted him and inspired him to write the Conversations With God series and many other books.

Dharma Meditation Initiative - DisclosureFest.org - MARC.UCLA.org

Anyhow, thank you for DisclosureFest.org. I love attending any positive, spiritually-aware fest. I offer to fill the stage with original poetry, book recommendations, universal ethics, spiritual discourses -- if a scheduled performer ever fails to show up. Because your name is Jen, I quote Forest Gump: "I may be stupid, Jenny, but I know what love is." DMI

Monday, June 11, 2018

Amma the Hugging Saint in LA (June 12-13-14)


We like to cuddle, hug, and embrace. Here's our chance to do it with India's "Hugging Saint" Mata Amrita-ananda-mayi  (amma.org).

FREE events and activities will be going on during her visit to Los Angeles and other cities on her world tour:

The Hindus (Wendy Doniger)
Music, spiritual discourses, teachings, Eastern wisdom, veggie foods, blessings alongside holy hugs, sacred squeezes, and enlightening embraces. This is darshan, "viewing," which is when she transfers positive spiritual energy.

Carpooling, ride-sharing, Metro, buses on website. This is an annual event across the world and in her California ashram in case you ever want to run away and join the Hindu circus. "Mother" Amma love to hug all. RSVP FREE

WHO IS AMMA?

As a small girl in South India, Amma drew attention by spending many hours in deep meditation on the seashore, composing devotional songs and singing to the divine, songs of remarkable depth and wisdom.

At 9 years old, her mother ill, she was taken from school to help care for her seven siblings. As she went door-to-door gathering scraps from neighbors for her family’s cows, she was confronted with the intense poverty and suffering in her community and the world beyond it.

Then when she encountered the needy, she gave them food and clothing from her home.

Goddess pours compassion like Kwan Yin
She was scolded and punished by her family, but she continued and spontaneously began to embrace people to comfort them in their sorrow. Her affectionate care got her the name Amma ("mother").

According to Hinduism, the suffering of the individual is due to one's own karma — the results of past actions/deeds. Amma accepted this concept, but she refused to accept it as a justification for inaction.

She contemplated the principle of karma until she revealed a more profound truth, asking a question she continues to ask: “If it is one person’s karma (result of action) to suffer, isn’t it our dharma (duty) to help ease that person's suffering and pain?”

Goddess (devi) offers metta and karuna.
With this simple and profound conviction — that each of us has a responsibility to lend a helping hand to the less fortunate — Amma moved forward with confidence in her life of service and compassionate care, uniquely expressed by the motherly embrace she offers all who seek solace. More

Dharma Meditation Initiative, Los Angeles