(Psyfluence) This video delves into The Apocalypse of the Mind: The Age of Idiocracy and Idolatry, a deep analysis of how contemporary [American] society is caught in an unprecedented intellectual and spiritual crisis.
We reflect on the decline of critical thinking, the glorification of [idiocy and] superficiality, and the worship of false idols—from celebrities to empty ideologies.
This content invites us to question our dominant culture, its values, and how this reality impacts our inner and collective freedom. Through current examples and philosophical reflections, we are invited to awaken and seek an authentic path amid the noise and confusion of the modern age.
Are we ready to challenge our own beliefs and open our minds? Some are. Everyone else can return to consuming corn and cattle, body parts and synthetic plastic contamination.
(Alan Watts) The Chinese philosopher Zhuang Zhou (b. 300 BC), discussing Taoism, has a genuine sense of humor, which makes Western thinkers nervous.
(Wiki) Zhuang Zhou (Chinese 莊子, literally "Master Zhuang," Wade-Giles romanization Chuang Tzu [a]), was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BCE during the Warring States period, a period of great development in Chinese philosophy, the Hundred Schools of Thought.
He is credited with writing—in part or in whole—a work known by his name, the Zhuangzi, which is one of two foundational texts of Taoism, alongside The Book of Changes (Tao Te Ching). More
Imagine loving [the tribal] God so much as to foster Foolishness for Christ: "Foolishness for Christ" (Greek διά Χριστόν σαλότητα, Church Slavonic оуродъ, юродъ) refers to behavior such as giving up all one's worldly possessions upon joining an ascetic order or spiritual/religious life, or deliberately flouting society's conventions to serve a religious purpose—particularly of Christianity.
Tao Te Ching is famous.
Such individuals have historically been known as both "holy fools" and "blessed fools." The term "fool" connotes what is perceived as feeblemindedness, and "blessed" or "holy" refers to innocence in the eyes of God [1].
The term "fools for Christ" derives from the writings of Paul the Apostle. Desert Fathers and other saints acted the part of Holy Fools, as have the yurodivy (or iurodstvo) of Christian Eastern Orthodox asceticism.
Fools for God or Christ often employ shocking and unconventional behavior to challenge accepted norms, deliver prophecies, or to mask their piety [2].
Modern Buddhist saint
The most Venerable Jumnien, Los Angeles (WQ)
[One is reminded of the modern Buddhist saintAjahn Jumnien (Jamnian.org) made famous by American Buddhist Jack Kornfield (spiritrock.com) in his early book Living Buddhist Masters, who is not taken seriously by most because he overdresses for the heat and carries too many amulets. But he does so, he explains, to disarm the authorities, rival Thai Forest Tradition schools, and local police, investigators, and doubters. Anyone who sees him behaving so foolishly cannot bring him or herself to really imagine his depth of personal wisdom and grasp of the Buddha's true Dhamma (Teaching, Message, Doctrine). He is amazingly humble, possessing abhinnapowers, the jhanas and their positive byproducts, plus a profound understanding of vipassana. He manages this exterior appearance because he comes from a familial line of Thai shamans. See more at Luang Por Jamnian Seelasettho. Saddhu 3x!]
Some ascetics are known as mendicants and are organized into mendicant orders. The most famous example in the Western church is the great Francis of Assisi (Spanish San Francisco), whose order was known for following the teachings of Christ and walking in his footsteps.
Thus, upon joining the order, Franciscans gave away all possessions [in a gesture exactly akin to Buddhist monasticism, sharing the color of monastic robes and other features] and focused on preaching in the streets to the common person. More
The Other Fools
Elina St-Onge, Collective Evolution, June 19, 2016 (sott.net)
What I show is just the tip
Who is more aligned with her path of spiritual evolution? A person in lotus posture, taking deep breaths, and sitting in perfect composure or a person curled up in a ball, hysterically hyperventilating, and crying?
If we base our answer on everything we have learned from New Age philosophies and most spiritual teachings out there, I think it's fair to say that the person meditating wins. S/he appears peaceful, at ease, equanimous, and detached, having let go.
I'm finally in touch with my feelings. It hurts.
Now I'm not about to shock readers. I say the opposite is true. But I would argue that this image is just that: an image. This is why:
Even the most peaceful, composed, and "spiritually correct" people in the world can be completely out of alignment with themselves, even more than those who aren't into spirituality at all. How come? Well, it's because of our tendency to be dishonest with ourselves.
"Explores how industry has manipulated our most deep-seated survival instincts."
—David Perlmutter, MD, author, #1 New York Times bestseller, Grain Brain and Brain Maker
The New York Times–bestselling author of Fat Chance reveals the corporate scheme to sell pleasure, driving the international epidemic of addiction, depression, and chronic disease.
While researching the toxic and addictive properties of sugar for his New York Times bestseller Fat Chance, Dr. Robert Lustig made an alarming discovery—our pursuit of happiness is being subverted by a culture of addiction and depression from which we may never recover.
Dopamine is the “reward” neurotransmitter that tells our brains we want more; yet every substance or behavior that releases dopamine in the extreme leads to addiction.
Serotonin is the “contentment” neurotransmitter that tells our brains we don’t need any more; yet its deficiency leads to depression.
Ideally, both are in optimal supply. But dopamine evolved to overwhelm serotonin—because our ancestors were more likely to survive if they were constantly motivated—with the result that constant desire can chemically destroy our ability to feel happiness, while sending us down the slippery slope to addiction.
Extraterrestrial mystery above Cusco found? - What are these ancient handbags?
In the last 40 years, government legislation and subsidies have promoted ever-available temptation (sugar, drugs, social media, porn) combined with constant stress (work, home, money, Internet), with the end result of an unprecedented epidemic of addiction, anxiety, depression, and chronic disease.
And with the advent of neuromarketing, corporate America has successfully imprisoned us in an endless loop of desire and consumption from which there is no obvious escape. More
Jimmy Kimmel brings on the 2024 Spelling Bee winner to do battle
Trump rants about sharks, drug addict Hunter Biden found guilty, Jimmy upsets Fox News
Hey, Biden body-double, you're alright.
(Jimmy Kimmel Live) June 11, 2024: The high profile trial of Pres. Biden's son Hunter Biden ended badly for him as he was found guilty on all three counts, the Bidens hosted a party at the White House in honor of Juneteenth[an important day in American history and the end of chattel slavery and the introduction of the now common practice of wage slavery], Donald Trump had a virtual meeting with his probation officer, the Fox News crowd is upset that Kimmel is hosting an interview with Presidents Biden and Obama during a fundraiser here in Los Angeles, Oprah's tool Dr. Phil McGraw delicately interviewed Trump and mentioned a very familiar name (James Kimmel), Fibberace (fibbing Trump as a fibbing Liberace) was in Vegas this weekend where he said many incomprehensible things in the sun, including a diatribe about shark attacks and how a sinking boat should electrocute them but somehow doesn't when it sinks, but, hey, have you noticed all the shark attacks lately? Ugh, what was I saying? I know exactly what I'm saying. I don't have a script, and my teleprompters rarely work, so I'm just winging it (betcha you could never tell), which made Kimmel’s crew think, Why not give the little ones a treat with an all-Trump rendition of “Baby Shark”? #Kimmel
Who’s worse, Biden or Trump? Vote evil
Trump meets with probation officer after bizarre rally rant about sharks: A Closer Look
(Late Night with Seth Meyers) June 10, 2024: Meyers takes a closer look at Trump meeting with a probation officer after holding his first large rally since his guilty verdict, where he screamed about teleprompters, batteries and sharks.
(Steve Forbes) Biden have to pull out before race due to being too feeble
It's time to choose again: Vote Tweedledee?
Anyone who votes "the lesser evil" is purposely voting for evil. Happy birthday, Don Juan Trump, 78.
Before he is sent to prison or spared to get a government job in the White House, Trump will be 78 on June 14th. Seriously senile Biden is 81 but so much older.
Say what anyone wants about how dumb Trump is as a dishonest human being, at least he tells the truth sometimes, not knowing any better or not caring about anything but advancing and promoting himself.
He says what the powers-that-be do not want anyone to say out loud about how we spy on others or how bribes (tax deductible donations) influence politics. He knows the system because he, by his own admission, uses the system, and now that system is mad enough at him to impeach, impeach, convict, and possibly imprison him, if only to keep him out of the next election.
Get me Steve Bannon on the pipe or the vent!
Another Trump presidency is not the worst thing that could happen -- so long as it is carried out from Cell Block 6 at Riker's Island or a federal warehouse for wayward felons, a country club of minimum-security detention. Why?
Body-doubles, demons, suits?
He's not likely to start any new wars like all the other presidents do and have done, with perhaps the sole exception being hospice-bound Jimmy Carter.
Biden is a buffoon and, worse, a tool. Who or what is possessing him? When he freezes up as he did yesterday, it may be dementia and Parkinson's kicking in, but it has always seemed to be glitches in his reptilian, draconian, or demonic overlord's possession.
One would think that they know how to enter, exit, and manipulate him after half a century of doing so but, apparently, he is all the worse for wear for having so many walk ins occupy his physical body.
Unfortunately, there is more than one body-double, and it is apparent when the others are on duty. They do not act too out of character, preferring to hew closely to their scripts and trained mannerisms.
Biden has no body doubles, except Mr. Rodgers.
Vote Jill Stein, vote RFK Jr., vote Andrew D. Basiago, or vote Cornel West. Vote anyone but Pervy Uncle the geriatric white male candidate. As bad as Trump is -- and he is shamefully, woefully inept in almost all regards, a humiliating embarrassment to the country -- he's the closest thing we have to a peace candidate.
He's a belligerent, bombastic, buffoonish clown, who will pick terrible judges and select hollowed out shells of people for cabinet positions, but that would seem to be an improvement over what we have in Genocide Joe.
This Week in Unnecessary Censorship
(Jimmy Kimmel Live) June 9, 2024: Once again, Kimmel Live has bleeped and blurred all the week's big TV moments whether they need it or not. This week the features are Donald Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jim Jordan, Matt Smith, Shark Tank, and more. #UnnecessaryCensorship#Kimmel
Jimmy Kimmel Live; Late Night with Seth Meyers; Steve Forbes; The Hill; Pfc. Sandoval, Ashley Wells, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
My tattoo guy likes to scribble. I think it looks good, like I'm an animation sketch or snake.
Shut the front door. You know I look good. I'm thinking of doing cam porn or bank robbery.
Tattoos used to be cool. Now every dumb@$$ has one or two or ten, on the face and butt.
They're gonna love you in prison, see? Oh, howdy, they're going to love you hard.
Kat Von D is BLACKING OUT all of her tattoos
Look, Dad, I got a tattoo! - Oh, Jesus, why?
(Theo Von Clips) "Tattoos are kinda boring," Kat says. Celebrities got them and now everyone has them. You can have one and be hired with no problem. There are tattoo shows. There's nothing dangerous about them or even interesting. But this, blacking them out, this is freaking people out. This is like getting tattooed used to be. See? I'm always on the cutting edge of things. #katvond. Full episode: This Past Weekend with Theo Von Clips. Website: theovon.com. #tattoo
What would the Buddha do? Would he get a tattoo? - No, he wasn't molested as a kid.
Sometimes they misspell words. You have to keep an eye on them and triple check.
I'm going to look so cool when I get older, lose my looks, and gain some stubborn weight.
My tattoo is me. I wear this skin, like when a dog rolls in another dog's pee scent.
.
#KatVonD #TheoVon #TheoVonClips
Excerpt from This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von 474. Find Theo on: Instagram: theovon
Facebook: theovon, Facebook Group: thispastweekend, Twitter: theovon, Patreon: theovon, YouTube: theovon. #TheoVon #KatVonD #ThisPastWeekend #TheoVonClips
Brainworms via Leon Lush, 8/3022; Seth Auberon, Crystal Q. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Is Gen Z actually brain dead? (It's not looking good youths)
(Leon Lush) Gen Z is pulling out all the stops to make themselves look less good than they actually are. Maybe it's drugs, shyness, or being phone-schooled. But who needs knowledge anyway when we can just work on having tons of followers and TikTok views instead?
This is a continuation of the series "Ruin Your Life in 30 Seconds or Less," which is how Brainworms started.
👕 Merch: leonlush.com/shop.
🎶 The music used: leonlush.com/epidemic. (It's perfect for avoiding copyright issues).
I may still be full of ego, as my profile pic shows
(Demystifying Reality, August 7, 2022) TORONTO, Canada - This is my spiritual awakening story. I like [YouTube salesman] Aaron Doughty. Well, it all started when I saw The Secret. I'm the only one who saw it. Well, I'm not, but I felt like I was. So I started to "manifest" stuff I wanted. And I got it. Not exactly the stuff I wanted, but close enough.
Like, I wanted this one exact car. Then a long time later my parents gave me their old car. Close enough. It's a car. Then I liked this guy, and I dated another guy. It's a guy. Close enough. Then, like I wanted a bunch of hits on my social media and stuff, and here you are watching my video as I explain reality. I totally know how to manifest shit. Then, like, I also want... Earth is like a school, you know? We're here to learn stuff. Mmm, like, I'm learning. Now I'm embarrassed because I made this dumb video, and people are telling me I have more than 11 views now, so I'm going to take it down and watch more of Aaron's videos to see how he handles fame...*
[What does an airhead think about? What thoughts run through her mind as she babbles and tells of the most significant thing that's ever happened to her in life? Manifestation my butt. "Well, it wasn't exactly like that one, but it counts anyway!" OM🕉, do people like this really exist, is she kidding, is this all a joke, is she still talking?]
Video Chapters:
Intro: 0:00
Backstory: 0:36
The surface part (my first manifestations): 1:33
The deep part (realization of the soul): 14:20
The dark part (what we don't know...): 18:50
The light part (earth school): 23:46
Outro: 24:44
Graphics in thumbnail: PNG Tree (https://pngtree.com)
*Celebrity voice impersonated/mocked from what we remember her saying because Demystifying Reality mystified us by suddenly yanking all her YouTube content just when readers became interested in watching her trainwreck of an assertion that she's awakened. Wow. Some people. She'll be back. Catch her on TikTok. She'll be all right by the maxim, "A fool who persists in her folly will be saved by her folly" as she's now starting to realize. We're not being mean for mean's sake.
Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was in Savatthi, in Jeta's Grove, at Anathapindika's Park. He called out, "Meditators!" And they replied, "Venerable sir!" Then he taught:
"Five things should be reflected on from time to time by a practitioner intent on higher consciousness. What are the five?
1. "When harmful thoughts connected with craving, hatred, or delusion arise by reflection on an adventitious object, (in order to get rid of it) one should reflect on a different object connected with something more skillful. The harmful thoughts are thereby eliminated; they disappear. With their elimination, the mind/heart stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated within (one's meditation).
"Just as a carpenter striking, pushing out, and replacing a coarse peg with a fine one, so should one get rid of the adventitious object and reflect on one connected with skill. Then harmful thoughts connected with greed, hatred, and delusion [craving, aversion, and wrong views] are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination the mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated within.
It works, it works, it really works!
2. "If harmful thoughts continue to arise even after doing so, one should consider and reflect on the disadvantages of unskillful thoughts: Truly such thoughts are unskillful, blameworthy, likely to produce misery. Then such thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated within.
"Just as a well dressed young person would feel humiliated, horrified, and disgusted by the carcass of a dead snake, dog, or human being hung around his or her neck, so should one in whom harmful thoughts continue to arise in spite of reflection on a skillful object ponder the disadvantages of unskillful thoughts: Truly these thoughts are unskillful, blameworthy, likely to produce misery. Then the evil, unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated within.
3. "If harmful thoughts continue to arise in one who ponders their disadvantages, one should endeavor in regard to them to be without attention or reflection. Then such thoughts are eliminated...
"Like a keen-eyed person shutting his or her eyes and looking away in order to avoid seeing what has come into view, so should one in whom harmful thoughts continue to arise in spite of pondering their disadvantages, endeavor to be without attention or reflection regarding them. Then such thoughts are eliminated...
4. "If harmful thoughts continue to arise in spite of endeavoring to be without attention or reflection regarding them, one should reflect on the removal of the source of those unskillful thoughts. Then such thoughts are eliminated...
"Just as a person finding no reason for walking fast, walks slowly; finding no reason for walking slowly, stands; finding no reason for standing, sits down; finding no reason for sitting down, lies down -- and thus abandoning a strenuous posture resorts to restful one, in just the same way one in whom harmful thoughts arise, in spite of endeavoring to be without attention or reflection regarding them, reflects on the removal of the source of them. Then such thoughts are eliminated...
Meditating is easier for children, who are masters of beginner's mind (Delioncourt/flickr.com)
.
5. "If harmful thoughts continue to arise in spite of reflection on the removal of a source of unskillful thoughts, one should (as a last resort) clench one's teeth and press one's tongue to the palate, and restrain, subdue, and beat down (harmful) mind with (helpful) mind. Then harmful thoughts connected with craving, hatred, and delusion are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the heart/mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated within.
"Just as a strong person holding a weaker one by the head or shoulders and restraining, subduing and beating that person down, so should the practitioner in whom harmful thoughts continue... Then such thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated within.
"When [this is done] that practitioner is called a master of the paths along which thoughts travel.
"The thought one wants to think, that one thinks; the thought one does not want to think, that one does not think. One has cut down craving, removed the fetter (bond), rightly mastered pride, and made an end of suffering (dukkha, disappointment)."
The Buddha said this, and the meditators, glad at heart, approved of his words.
All materials on this site are submitted by editors and readers. All images, unless otherwise noted, were taken from the Internet and are assumed to be in the public domain.
In the event that there is still a problem, issue, or error with copyrighted material, the break of the copyright is unintentional and noncommercial, and the material will be removed immediately upon presented proof.
Contact us by submitting a comment marked "private."
Do not follow this journal if you are under vinaya or parental restrictions. Secure protection by Sucuri.
Wisdom Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at creativecommons.org/about/licenses.
