Angels: The 9 Ranks of Shining Ones (devas)

Hochelaga; Generalist Papers, 4/27/23; Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

(Hochelaga) Here's a shocking Bible truth: Biblically accurate angels ("messengers") are very creepy.

Buddhism calls the various ranks of angels ("messengers") devas

The devas of Dharmic religions

 or literally "shining ones," but their classifications vary depending on the plane of existence they are found on. Messengers are just one lowly rank known as gandharvas (Pali gandhabbas), whereas the higher-ranking gods, demigods, and godlings are called akasha-devas (celestial-deities) and brahmas (divinities). For some strange reason they are all, as a class, just "light beings." Some live on earth as woodland fairies (nats) and dryads, or walk among humans as shapeshifters and messengers, or reside at the tops of large trees in miniature palaces in the air. The king of the gods (devas) is a being named Sakka (Sakra, Indra, which, interestingly, seems to share a name with the Scythians or Indo-Sakas of Sakastan, the Buddha's clan, Indo-Scythians, where Scythian, Shakya, and Saka are essentially equivalent terms, and the Buddha epithet is Shakyamuni, "the Sage of the Shakyas"), equivalent to the Catholic St. Michael, who is only king of the devas in the Realm of the Thirty-Three and the Realm of the Four Great Sky Kings, the two lowest "heavens" in the Sensual Sphere.

The 9 Ranks of Angels

(The Generalist Papers) According to some groups within the Abrahamic religions, there are many different types of angels. Let’s look into the angelic hierarchy put forward by the Medieval Catholic Church.

SOURCES

• Summa Theologica by Thomas Aquinas (translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province).
• On the Celestial Hierarchy by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite
• Angelic Spirituality: Medieval Perspectives on the Ways of Angels by Steven Chase

Music: Scheming Weasel, Arcadia, and Dreamy Flashback by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License (creativecommons.org/licenses). Grab Atlas VPN for just $1.99/mo + 3 months extra before the BIG DEAL expires. PATREON: patreon.com/generalistpapers.

Biblically accurate angels are creepy

(Hochelaga) July 31, 2020. Ever wonder why angels described accurately in the Bible look so creepy? Instead of angelic humanoids of great beauty, the Bible depicts bizarre animal-human hybrids (chimeras), fiery winged beasts, and wheels made of eyes. It's uncertain, but most believe that they are descendants of mythical beasts across the ancient Near East. #creepy #angel #bible #biblical

Biblical texts:

MESSENGERS

• Exodus 11:4–5
• 2 Samuel 24:16–17 2
• Kings 19:35

CHERUBIM

• Genesis 3:24
• Exodus 25:18–22
• Psalm 99:1
• Ezekiel 1:1-14
• Ezekiel 10

SERAPHIM

• Isaiah 6:1-8

OPHANIM

• Ezekiel 1:15-21

Sources

• Wiki: Hierarchy of Angels (Maimodenes)
• Wiki: Angel en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel
• Wiki: Cherub en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherub
• Bible Project: Angels and Cherubim
• Egyptian Seraphim thetorah.com/article/what...
• Wiki: Spaceships of Ezekiel
• Ezekiel Chapter 1 (desiro1)
• Isaiah’s glorious vision of God and Seraphim. The Holy of Holies - Isaiah 6:1-8. King Solomon’s Temple (John8thirtytwo Publishing)
• "Ezekiel's Vision" by Marcus Usherwood

Music

• Flower Duet by Léo Delibes Royalty Free Heavy Metal - Digital Meltdown (Creative Commons)
• Moorland by Kevin MacLeod. License: creativecommons.org/licenses...
• Elf Meditation Preview by Kevin MacLeod. License: creativecommons.org/licenses...
• Ancient Rite by Kevin MacLeod. License: creativecommons.org/licenses...
• Tempting Secrets by Kevin MacLeod. License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses...
• Discord: discord.gg/29tngpT
• Contact: hochelagaenquiries@outlook.com

Hindu sun god temple is perfectly aligned

Perfectly aligned temple casts no shadow on solstice: Modhera Sun Temple, India

(PraveenMohan) March 1, 2023. A strange Hindu temple in India dedicated to the Sun (Surya, Sol) is hiding some unbelievable secrets. When one enters the Modhera Temple in Gujarat, India, one's shadow might disappear. How is that possible? Ancient science of a Hindu temple can be confirmed one day of the year, on the summer solstice under the sun along the Tropic of Cancer.

Email: info.praveenmohan@gmail.com. Patreon account to support Praveen Mohan: patreon.com/PraveenMohan. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

• 0:00 - A Precise Alignment
• 1:18 - Flawless Ancient Compasses
• 2:15 - The Equinoctial Points
• 4:14 - Disappearing Shadows
• 5:14 - The Summer Solstice
• 6:31 - Marks on Tropic of Cancer
• 7:16 - Accurate Ancient Calculations
• 8:13 - Moving Tropic of Cancer
• 9:43 - This is a MARKER
• 12:58 - Hidden Underground Chamber
• 14:57 - Iconography of the Sun
• 16:28 - Scientific Numbers & Symbols
• 17:50 - Conclusion

The sun god Surya in Hinduism

In a remote village called Modhera, there is a very advanced temple built with incredible geometric architecture built to perfection.

The main structure, when a compass is placed at the entrance, exactly on a line between the rocks, it is perfectly aligned to the east–west direction, without so much as a decimal error. How was this perfection possible to achieve in ancient times? This temple is said to be at least 1,000 years old.

There are three main structures. Let us check the second structure. It is interesting because the ancient builders made specific notches at the entrances. When one puts a compass on top of them, the alignment is perfect. There is no error. This is 0 degrees north, perfect north. I have checked the entire temple’s structure everywhere, and it is flawless, no errors.

Today this kind of precision can be achieved only with advanced technology. This may seem easy if we don’t understand the history of the compass. Today, we are able to measure the alignment with perfection using electronic devices. But going back a thousand years, archeologists and historians say humans only had primitive compasses, using loadstones or crude magnetized needles floating in liquid.

How could ancient builders achieve this level of precision without so much as a 0.01% of error? There is an even bigger question. Not how they did it but why? Why was such a precise alignment necessary?

Why should the main chamber point exactly due east? Look at this picture taken on March 21, 2022, at sunrise. The first rays of the sun pass through the center of the entrances and shine on the main chamber altar. This phenomenon happens only twice a year, on March 21st and September 23rd. Why? What is special about these days? They are the equinoxes, the only two days when day and night are exactly equal.

They are the only two days when the sun rises exactly due east. This may be news, because we may have previously thought that the sun always rises in the east. But it does not. It keeps rising left and right, but only on these two days does it rise at zero degree east.

This is why perfect alignment to east is also called equinoctial east. What was originally inside the main chamber? There was an idol of the sun god Surya (Sol). A giant statue made of pure gold studded with diamonds once stood inside the main chamber's altar. So when the first rays of the sun fell on the idol of Surya, the entire chamber would have produced a dazzling light show.

#AncientTechnology #PraveenMohan #hinduism

The sky is falling: snow in Los Angeles

• Massive winter storm that brought rare snow to parts of sunny California now moving east to torment the rest of the country
• Discovered! 1,200-year-old mansion in the desert with secret vaults
• The mystical origins of Indigo Children (and why the movement is riddled with controversy)

(Forbes) What is this strange substance falling from the cold desert sky?

It's not a desert! Well, do Mediterranean climates freeze over like this?

• VIDEO: Ancient bones discovered (msn.com)

Ancient bones were discovered recently in the Americas and Europe. Henry Sadler, an American middle school science teacher, found the humerus bone of a massive Columbian mammoth while diving in a river in Florida. In 2021, Italian archeologists found the 100,000-year-old remains of nine Neanderthals in a cave near Rome. In 2020, workers in Mexico digging the foundations for a new airport made a startling discovery: several woolly mammoth bones. Inside Edition Digital’s Andrea Swindall has more.

The Gentle Way: Self-Help Guide (video)

Tom T. Moore (thegentlewaybook.com), Coast to Coast AM, 1/13/23; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

The future is set. Time travel is real (with 12 timelines in affect right now), space aliens of all kinds are in mother ships, and one man named Tom Moore claims he's soon going to film, interview, and present them to the world in a documentary. How soon? Not soon enough. It will change the world, our place in the universe, and reveal a post-Star War Federation of Planets. Earth is special. Many beings come here for various reasons. There are abductions, mating/breeding programs, genetic manipulations, upgrades, (possible exploitation), "soul agreement" (pre-birth contracts being honored), and much more.

• COAST TO COAST AM OFFICIAL (YouTube)
• BOOKS: The Gentle Way by Tom Moore - A Self-Help Guide for Those Who Believe in Angels (thegentlewaybook.com)
• The Gentle Way II: Benevolent Outcomes the Story Continues
• The Gentle Way III: Master Your Life A Self-Help Guide for Those Who Believe in Angels
• Atlantis & Lemuria: The Lost Continents Revealed!
• First Contact: Conversations with an ET

Would anyone like to have less fear, less stress, and more success in life? Yes. Welcome to The Gentle Way website (gentlewaybook.com). Find the SIMPLEST yet MOST powerful spiritual tool to use for life. Learn to reconnect with a beautiful being we call a guardian angel on a daily basis and KNOW connection.

These guardian angels are here to assist us, but we have to ASK and to do that we have to know HOW to ask. Learn how to request benevolent outcomes. By requesting benevolent outcomes in life, we will:

• Increase awareness;
• feel a lightening of spirit;
• lower fear level in life;
• lower stress level in life;
• handle problems and challenges;
• have more success in life;
• raise vibrational level; and
• increase spirituality.

An easy way to get started is by signing up for either Tom Moore’s new FREE blog or his FREE weekly newsletter (or both). Available at amazon.com.

ONLINE:

• The Gentle Way by Tom T. Moore
• The Gentle Way Book 2 by Tom T. Moore
• The Gentle Way Book 3 by Tom T. Moore
• The Gentle Way with Pets by Tom T. Moore
• First Contact by Tom T. Moore
• Atlantis and Lemuria by Tom T. Moore

• Subscribe to Tom Moore's FREE newsletter
• WORKSHOP AND RETREAT SCHEDULE
• The blogs are for people just beginning to request benevolent outcomes (MBO’s) and wish to read stories about how people request MBO’s in their daily lives.
• There are excerpts from Moore's second book, along with new stories.

Check out Tom Moore's blog, and sign up by sending an e-mail to tomtmoore6 [at] aol.com.

Each newsletter is completely different than the week before, as Moore receives not only MBO stories but questions for him to ask his own guardian angel Theo and Gaia, soul of the Earth, in meditation. 

Subjects covered are on every topic imaginable, from the history of the Earth to aliens and UFOs. See samples of the newsletters. Subscribe TODAY.

How can Tom Moore promise all of these benefits? It’s because he has been using these concepts over 20 years now, and he can report these successes from direct knowledge and experience by requesting benevolent outcomes.

But as he points out, this is a self-help guide, so it requires participation. On his website, gentlewaybook.com, read two sample chapters of the books, read book reviews, read his biography and appearance schedule.

My dead son has been reborn (sutra)

Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thera (trans.), Maṭṭhakuṇḍalī (Khuddaka Nikāya, Petavatthu, The Ubbari Chapter 17. Mattakundali; Dhr. Seven, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

A Brahmin was crying over his dead son’s grave when he saw a grieving deva (lit., "shining one") who was disguised as a young man.

Brahmin: "My dear child, you are very handsome, wearing polished earrings, garlands, and sandalwood cream. You are weeping, holding your head in your hands in the middle of this forest. Why are you crying so sadly?"

Deva: "I have received a bright golden chariot, but it does not have wheels. That is why I am so sad. I am about to commit suicide."

Brahmin: "Oh dear boy, tell me, what kind of wheels do you need? Should they be made of gold, jewels, rubies, or silver? I will give you a pair of wheels made from anything."

Deva: "We can see the sun and moon right here. It would be great if my chariot could have them as wheels."

Brahmin: "Oh, dear boy, you are indeed foolish. You seek something that cannot be obtained. I am sure that you will die from sadness because it is impossible to get the sun and moon as your wheels."

Deva: "But wait a minute. We can see the sun and moon moving [rolling] in the sky. We can see their color and tracks. But when someone dies, one can never see him again. So who is more foolish, you or me? You are crying over your dead son, who cannot even be seen, and I am crying over something that can at least be seen."

Brahmin: "Oh, dear boy, what you just said is very true! Of the two of us, I am the greater fool. I am crying to get my dead son back, like a childish boy crying to obtain the moon.

I want to commit suicide and be dead like my dead child! (Before Dying 2014/gifphy.com)

.

"My heart was burning with sadness over the death of my son, like when fat is poured onto a fire. But now, all my sorrow has been extinguished as if I had been sprayed with water. I was struck with an arrow of grief, but you have removed it from me, my dear boy. Having heard your advice, I have become tranquil and cool, with the arrow of sorrow removed. I no longer grieve or weep."

Devas sporting about in a heaven (Wat Bonniwet)

"Are you a deva, a divine musician [or divine messenger, gandhabba], the divine king Sakka, or some deva’s son (devaputta)? Who are you?"

Deva: "Your son has been cremated in this cemetery. You are weeping over his remains. I am that son of yours! Having done a meritorious deed, I was reborn in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three [Tavatimsa, where Sakka, king of the devas is our divine king] as a deva."

Brahmin: "We have never known you to give a small or large gift in charity. We have never known you to observe the Five Precepts or Eight Precepts. What kind of meritorious action did you do to go to [this lowly] heaven?"

Deva: "Do you remember when I was very sick and lying sadly on a bed outside our house? One day, all of a sudden, I saw the Supreme Buddha who had great wisdom and a pure mind, who had realized everything about this world.

"I was very happy and had confidence [faith] when I saw him. I quickly honored him. That was the only meritorious action (kusala karma) I did that as a result I was reborn in this heavenly place."

Brahmin: "It is wonderful! Just mere honoring has resulted in a great happiness. Without delay, on this very day, I happily place confidence [faith, belief] in the Buddha. I go for guidance to the Buddha."

Deva: "That is exactly what you should do! From this very day, go for guidance to the Supreme Buddha, the Supreme Dharma [Teaching], and the Supreme Sangha [community of noble practitioners] with a confident mind. Follow the Five Precepts honestly without breaking any of them.

"Stop killing any living beings, never steal, never drink alcohol, never lie, never commit sexual misconduct but be content with your own spouse."

Brahmin: "Oh Deva, you really wish for my wellbeing. You have been very helpful to me. From today onward, you are my teacher. I will do all the things you advised me to do. With a confident mind I go for guidance to the Supreme Buddha, the excellent Dharma, and the [noble = aryan = enlightened] disciples of the Great Teacher — the Noble Sangha. I will stop killing living beings, never steal anything, never drink alcohol, never lie, and never commit sexual misconduct but be content with my own spouse."

Source: Pv 17: Maṭṭhakuṇḍalī Petavatthu (suttacentral.net)

Sutra: Is there a heaven? (video)

Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thera (trans.), Rajjumālā Vimānavatthu (Khuddaka Nikāya, Crimson Chapter (4.12) Rajjumala’s Mansion or UFO; Dhr. Seven, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Ven. Moggallana: "Devata, your beauty shines in all directions like the bright star named Osadhi.

"When you dance, divine music and sweet fragrance spread from your hands and feet. Also, the ornaments on your head play delightful music. The bouquet of flowers on your head spreads sweet fragrance, like that of a manjusaka tree, and plays music when the breeze blows on it. Surely, you must smell that fragrance and see your own divine body?

"Tell me, Devata, what kind of meritorious action [skillful karma] did you do when you were in the human world to have gained this beauty that shines in all directions and to have earned all these wonderful things?"

Devata: "In my previous life, I was in the human world living in the city called Gaya. I was a servant girl working in a high-caste family. I did not have much merit and was very unfortunate. Everybody called me 'Rajjumala.' I was abused, threatened, and beaten. I was tired of living that way.

“One day I took a water pot and, pretending to get some water, I ran away. I ran into the forest beside the road. There I contemplated suicide. I thought that there was no point in living like this. I made a strong noose and tied it to a tree. I looked around to see whether anybody was there. Then I saw the Supreme Buddha, the most compassionate teacher of all beings in the world, sitting at the root of a tree meditating, free from all fears.

(Roxy Music, April 3, 1973) "In Every Dream Home a Heartache." Brian Ferry asks, "Is there a heaven? I'd like to think so." BBC TV: The Old Grey Whistle Test, Brian Eno on keyboards. 

“I was shocked and surprised. The hairs on my body stood on end. I thought, 'Who is that being in this forest – is he a human or a deva?' The sight of him was thrilling! He has escaped from the forest of defilements and attained the bliss of calmness. When I saw him, I was delighted. I realized that he was not an ordinary human being. The Blessed One lived with restrained senses, delighting in meditation, with his mind established in nirvana. Truly, he is the Supreme Buddha, the most compassionate teacher in the world.

“Like a lion living in his cave, the Blessed One is afraid of nothing. Seeing a brave buddha is very rare, like seeing a [heavenly] udumbara flower. The Supreme Buddha called to me gently, saying, 'Rajjumala,' and asked me to go for guidance to the Supreme Buddha. When I heard those sweet, gentle, meaningful, soft, and lovely words, all my sorrows went away. My mind was joyful and clean. I was ready to understand the Dharma [Teaching of Liberation]. At that time, the most compassionate teacher in the world taught me the Dharma, saying, 'This is suffering, this is the cause of suffering, this is the end of suffering, and this is the way leading to deathlessness [nirvana].' I followed the advice of the most compassionate and skilled teacher, the Supreme Buddha. I understood the peaceful and deathless state, nirvana. With the realization of the Four Ennobling Truths, my love towards the Buddha became strong, unshakable, well rooted, and well established. I became a daughter born of the heart of the Supreme Buddha.

We're here to entertain you, Shining One!

“Now, I enjoy living in this heaven, playing and dancing. I do not have any fear of falling into the plains of misery again [because she has attained at the very least the first stage of enlightenment called stream entry, which means one can never be reborn anywhere lower than the human plane]. I wear divine flower garlands and drink water from the divine river Madhumaddava. Sixty thousand musical instruments wake me from my sleep. Devas entertain me. Their names are Alamba, Gaggara, Bhima, Sadhuvadin, Samsaya, Pokkhara, and Suphassa. Other devatas, including Vina, Mokkha, Nanda, Sunanda, Sonadinna, Sucimhita, Alambusa, Missakesi, Pundarika, Athicharuni, Eniphassa, Suphassa, Subhadda, and Muduvadini entertain me as well. These and many other devatas entertain me with divine music coming to me whenever I wish. They approach me saying, 'Come now! Let’s dance and sing! We are here to entertain you.'

“Those without merit will not receive mansions [vimanas = UFOs = celestial platforms, mansions, palaces, motherships] like this. Only those with merit receive this happiness in the heavenly Nandana Park in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three (Tavatimsa).

“Those who have not gathered merit will not get any happiness in their current life or their next life. Only those who have gathered merit get happiness in both the present and next life. Those who would like to be reborn in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three must collect much merit. Only people who do good things are able to enjoy heavenly [celestial] pleasures.

“Definitely, supreme buddhas are born into this world for the happiness of all beings. Thus, buddhas are the unique fields of treasure where donors can plant their seeds of merit [with massively abundant results]. Having respected such great beings, these fortunate people enjoy heavenly pleasures. Source: Vv 50: Rajjumālāvimānavatthu—Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thera (suttacentral.net)

There's ET life all over the cosmos (video)

A&E's The Unexplained via Doc Spot; Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson, Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit

Buddhist cosmology is the description of the shape and devolution and re-evolution (in constant cycles called kalpas) of the universe according to Buddhist sutras and their commentaries.

It consists of temporal and spatial maps. The temporal cosmology is the division of the existence of a "world" into four discrete periods (coming to be, enduring, dissolving, chaotic dissolution). This does not seem to be a canonical division, however, but rather a commentarial one.

The spatial cosmology consists of a vertical arrangement of the 31 categories of "planes of existence" in a countless number of individual worlds -- and the beings who dwell there, their bodies, characteristics, nutriment, lifespans, beauty (brilliance of light emitted), and the pleasures available to them. There is also a horizontal cosmology, the distribution of these world-systems into an "apparently" boundless sheet of “worlds.”

The existence of world-periods or aeons (kalpas) is well attested to by the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama or Shakyamuni, the "Sage of the Scythian Clan."

He made reference to the existence of aeons, immense periods of geological time, staggering durations akin to Vedic and Mayan cosmic timespans. The duration of one "great aeon," for example, is explained metaphorically as follows:

Imagine how long it would take to erode a huge rock of pure marble without a fissure if that cube measured one mile in length, width, and height if were brushed with a fine silk cloth only once every century. Well, it is said, that entire mass of marble would be rubbed away and still one kalpa would not yet have elapsed.

The Buddha remembered his direct knowledge of past events, such as the dawn of human life on this (and other) planets. This is explained in brief as a devolution in the Agganna Sutra or the Buddhist "Genesis" story.

Light beings alighted on this planet and ate dense food for delight, and so doing they became coarser and cruder, and a gender-split took place.

There comes a time -- and this is cyclical, repeating -- when more than one sun is seen in the sky, and all dries up, and the planet's surface life is burned up.

The Buddha had the ability to remote view, and he was able to take himself bodily to other worlds to interact with other beings in those worlds. Not only did he possess these powers, this level of self-mastery, other disciples could do likewise.

They could travel vast distances to the brahma world, the many deva worlds, to other human worlds in this world-system (galaxy?), and to know the whole of the universe.

He also had the super-knowledge of being faring according to their karma (deeds and their results), seeing them arise (be reborn) in other worlds after death in accordance with the impersonal law or pattern of deeds-and-results.

He further knew how to bring about this wandering to a conclusion to bring about the complete end of all suffering. More

The Persian Empire's Persepolis (video)

Viper TV - FILMS, 8/2/19; Nick Naz, Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Ancient Persepolis Inexplicable Mysteries: Lost Civilizations
Archaeological evidence shows that the earliest remains of the city state Persepolis date back to 515 BC. André Godard, the French archaeologist who excavated Persepolis in the early 1930s, believed that it was Cyrus the Great who chose the site of Persepolis, but that it was Darius I who built the terrace and palaces. Inscriptions on these buildings support the idea that they were constructed by Darius.

FULL DOCUMENTARY ARCHIVE @ youtube.com/playlist... Other channel: Viper TV Documentaries youtube.com/channel... Viper TV Film Production.

How the world began (video)

Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy); Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson, Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit

(Family Guy) Did "God" really create the world out of thin air as depicted here? WARNING: Fart joke.

Devas came from space and became coarse.

There is a Buddhist "Genesis" account in the Aggañña Sutra, the 27th discourse of the Buddhist "Collection of Long Discourses" (Digha Nikaya).

This sutra describes an explanation the Buddha gave to two Brahmins, Bharadvaja and Vasettha, who left their high caste family to become wandering ascetic (shaman) Buddhist monastics.

Carl "Cosmos" Sagan on the Big Bang (edited for Christian rednecks)

Mandalas depict near-Earth space.

The two Brahmins are insulted and maligned by their fellow Brahmin caste members for their intention to become members of the Buddhist monastic community (Sangha).

Then the Buddha explains that caste and lineage cannot be compared to the achievement of practicing virtues in line with the Dharma (the Ultimate Truth, the Doctrine, the Teaching leading to enlightenment), as anyone from the four major castes can become a Buddhist monastic and reach the state of full enlightenment.

The Buddha then explains the beginning of the Earth (Bhumi) and the birth of social order and its structure, including caste distinctions. The Buddha emphasizes the message of universality in the Dharma and how the Dharma is the best of all things. More

Blood Moon: "an inauspicious sign"

Ellie Askew, Dhr. Seven, Crystal Q., Wisdom Quarterly

It was eerie walking with an enlightened Buddhist master, a Westerner who teaches the three distinct Buddhist traditions and sees no insurmountable differences between them. They are various routes to the same fundamental realization (emptiness or the impersonal nature of all phenomena the Buddha called anatta and sunnyata). High in the hills that serve as the backdrop for the San Gabriel Valley, dividing it from Orange County, we spoke of the coming super wolf "blood moon." He paused and immediately referred to it as "an inauspicious sign." But surely the devas ("shining ones") will intervene to save humanity, we offered. He said they were only interested in doing so when humans are behaving in such a way as to merit the help. Are we? There are Ten Courses of Wholesome Action (karma), which anyone can review for him or herself. We pressed him: "Surely, you're not afraid of a red moon?" "It's just a sign, an indication" of which there have been several that serve as warnings to what is happening. He did not detail what is happening, but he did say the Tibetan tradition and, in fact, all human societies have known of such signs and have ways of attempting to ward off the danger. Our world merely reflects us. In the Agganna Sutra, "A Buddhist Genesis," the Buddha points out how the karma of beings on earth, who devolved on earth after coming here, led to devolving external conditions as their internal intentions, the basis of karma, led to cruder and cruder conduct. It's something to think about. But who's afraid of signs and omens in the sky? We kept asking him about this and many things. He kept referring to the "suchness" of things.

• What are the planets doing: Mars looks as big as the moon?
• Have space aliens found us? Harvard astronomer on the mysterious interstellar object Oumuamua

Pagan Origins of Judaism (video)

Sigalius Mýricantur, Nov. 21, 2015; Sheldon S., Crystal Quintero (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

 

[The Christian/Jewish "God"] Yahweh Elohim evolved from the Canaanite deity El [whose consort/wife was Asherah]. Judaism and Christianity are based in polytheistic traditions.

• Sources: books.google.com/books?id=S1t... 
• Mark S. Smith
• Michael Cogan
• Christine Hayes
• William G. Dever
• John C. L. Gibson

The Buddha's chief FEMALE disciple

G.P. Malalasekera, Pali Proper Names; Amber Larson, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

The Perfection of Wisdom

Khemā Therī was fully enlightened (an arhat) and the chief female disciple of the historical Buddha, who declared her "foremost in wisdom."

Khemā was born in a ruling family at Sāgala in the Madda country. Her skin was of the color of gold, and she became the chief consort of King Bimbisāra, a stream winner and prominent disciple of the Buddha.

Khemā would not visit the Buddha who was staying at the Bamboo Grove (Veluvana) because she had heard that he spoke disparagingly beauty and she was very beautiful and infatuated with her beauty.

The king asked poets to sing the glories of the Bamboo Grove to persuade Khemā to go there and see the Buddha.

Modern Western Theravada nuns, California

When she finally came face to face with the Buddha, he used his mystical powers to conjure up in her vision a female with he beauty of a celestial nymph (akasha devi), who stood behind him fanning him.

Khemā was stunned that the Buddha, a celibate teacher and wandering ascetic, associated with beautiful women. She gazed at the nymph, whose extraordinary beauty far excelled her own.

Fully enlightened, wise and beautiful Khemā became a Buddhist nun (bhikkhuni).

.

Then the Buddha with his powers caused the nymph to rapidly age. Khemā saw her pass suddenly from youth to extreme old age then fall down in the swoon of death.

Seeing that happen so suddenly, Khemā was filled with disenchantment and dispassion at the sight.

• [She for a moment stopped craving, grasping at, and clinging to things. She let go and was therefore able to see things as they really are, to discern the True Nature of reality. And that Truth sets one free.]

Then the Buddha seized the opportunity to preach to her on the fleeting vanity of lust. Because she was momentarily open to hear the message, at that very moment she attained enlightenment.

With the agreement of King Bimbisāra, she entered the Nuns' Order (Bhikkhuni Sangha) and was ranked by the Buddha as foremost in wisdom (mahāpaññānam aggā) among his female monastic disciples (A.i.25; Dpv.xviii.9; see also MA.iv.168f.; Bu.xxvi.19; J.i.15,16).

Past lives

Ancient palace in Shakya Land/Afghanistan

In the time of Padumuttara Buddha the person who was to become Khemā was a slave. Having seen that Buddha's chief female disciple, Sujāta, give him three cakes, she was inspired.

That same day she sold her hair and gave that Buddha an offering of alms food.

 

Wise Khemā Therī, Buddhist nun

In Kassapa Buddha's time she became the eldest daughter of King Kikī of Benares named Samanī. With her sisters she observed celibacy for 20,000 years [because the normal human lifespan was much longer at that time, and there are times when it gets up to 80,000] and built a monastic dwelling for that Buddha.

Khemā learned the Mahānidāna Sutra, having heard the Buddha teach it. In the time of Vipassī Buddha she became a renowned preacher of the Dharma.

• Most beautiful woman in world: Ratajkowski?
• Beauty: "Who'd you rather?" asks TMZ: Emily?
• PHOTOS: proof of Emily's beauty at the beach

And during the time of both Kakusandha Buddha and Konāgamana Buddha, she had great monastic complexes built for the Buddha and his male and female monastic disciples (AA.i.187f; Thig.139-44; ThigA.126ff; Ap.ii.543ff; DhA.iv.57ff; cf. the story of Rūpa Nandā at DhA.iii.113-9).

Once Khemā was at Toranavatthu, between Sāvatthi and Sāketa. King Pasenadi, who happened to be spending one night there, heard she was nearby and went to see her. He questioned her as to whether or not the Tathagatha [the Perfected One, someone who is fully enlightened and accomplished] existed after death.

Khemā explained the matter to the king in various ways, and Pasenadi was delighted with her exposition. He then related his meeting with her to the Buddha (S.iv.374ff).

Khemā is mentioned in several places (e.g., A.i.88; ii.164; iv.347; S.ii.236) as the highest ideal of womanhood worthy of emulation, where she is described as a nun (bhikkhuni) par excellence.

 

Khemā is identified with the mother in the Uraga Rebirth Tale (Jataka iii.168), the queen in the Rohantamiga Rebirth Tale (J.iv.423), and in the Hamsa Jataka (J.iv.430). She is Queen Khemā in the Mahāhamsa Jataka (J.v.382) and the princess in the Mahājanaka Jataka (J.vi.68). Source

• Khemā Therī: one of the two chief female disciples of Dhammadassī Buddha (Bu.xvi.19; J.i.39). 
• Khemā in the Anguttara Nikaya Commentary (AA.ii.791) (on A.iv.347) speaks of a Khemā Upāsikā in a list of lay Buddha women.
• Queen Khemā was the wife of King Brahmadatta of Benares. She dreamed of a golden peacock preaching and wished that her dream would come true. Although the king tried every means in his power, the wish could not be fulfilled, so the queen died. See the Mora Jātaka (J.ii.36). 
• Khemā was the chief queen of King Brahmadatta of Benares who dreamed of a golden deer preaching the Dharma, and her wish to see her dream come true was fulfilled (J.iv.256). For details see the Ruru Jātaka. 
• Khemā: chief queen of King Brahmadatta of Benares (J.iv.334) with a story similar to that of Khemā in the Mora Jataka. Details at Mahā-Mora Jātaka.
• Khemā: queen consort of King Brahmadatta of Benares (J.iv.413) (J.iv.423). See Rohantamiga Jātaka. 
• Khemā: queen consort of King Seyya (Samyama) of Benares. She saw a golden swan in a dream and wished to see one in real life (J.v.354). She is identified with Khemā Therī (J.v.382). For details see the Mahāhamsa Jātaka.