Showing posts with label an incredible journey of inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label an incredible journey of inspiration. Show all posts

Monday, September 28, 2026

Who will save the trees? Butterfly will

Will anything I ever do make a difference? IDK
If only all of us had Butterfly-will like Julia Butterfly Hill who willed that Luna the Tree be saved from corporate logging.

The Buddha called "will" (cetanā, volition) "karma." (Most of the good things that happen to us in life are due to our karma, as are many but not all of the bad things).

The Legacy of Luna
But what can just one person do? One person can save the world, save a grove, a forest, nature, a species, a region. And more people coming together for a cause can do even more, taking their lead from that ONE person.

Sure, we say she's a "super heroine" now, but at the time, everyone said she was a "crazy hippie" for having uncapitalist ideals and principles. There is that scientific theory called the "butterfly effect," the idea that the smallest change can have a compounding effect, stacking, triggering a cascade much bigger than would ever seem possible by just one act, a kind of domino effect.

Julia, you did the impossible! How'd you do it?
Easy. I just did something. Nature did the rest.

What can just one pretty, little, dumb, colorful, flighty, teensy-weensy butterfly do?
  • No One Is Too Small...
    It isn't just the karmic (willful) action that has an immediate result. There is the inspiring of others, modeling change for them, blowing the whistle, speaking up for the unpopular but honest view of things. Greta Thunberg may not do much more than boycott school, hold a sign, garner attention, speak at rallies, or get herself in the media, and she still has done a great deal. She gets demonstrates, protests, investigates, sticks to her guns (e.g., against Israel), speaks out, gets arrested, talks to movers-and-shakers, addresses the U.N., and inspires millions to think and act. She does participate in direct actions herself, but more than that, she rallies demonstrators and attracts attention to important causes. What can I do? What can you do? What can we do?
I didn't begin with a book. I began a strike.
How, for example, could a single piece of flimsy straw (like a pretty girl in a tree) ever break a robust camel (like a greedy corporation out to hump everyone and steal water from an arid place for itself) with a strong back for carrying bales and bales of hay?
Teaching crusade: female education in the Muslim world around the world (malala.org)
You don't have to be white, right, Barry? - No, but it sure helps, Mal (with Malia+Michael O.)
'Super heroine'? I'm just a regular person with no ability to anything about greedy corporations
    Reverend Dr. MLK Jr. was very popular until he spoke out against the U.S. War on Vietnam.
    A Jew for Palestine? I thought Jews hated them? - Many good people stand for truth and justice
    Devis live at the tops of trees, mostly unseen by ordinary human beings who do not meditate.


    Friday, May 8, 2026

    Wild Food Foraging Ethnobotanical Walk (5/9)



    FORAGING WALK — WILD FOOD OUTING
    Guide to Wild Foods Useful Plants
    Hosted by prolific plant author Christopher Nyerges, nature guide, and founder of School of Self-Reliance: The Wild Food and Self-Reliance Discovery Meetup Group (with 4.9 out of 5.0 stars with 143 reviews) is leading a nature walk:
    • Wild Food Ethnobotanical Walk
    • Saturday, May 9, 2026 10:00 am
    • $65 (seniors and students $45)
    To attend and for exact directions, register HERE. Join us for an outing in Los Angeles where we explore the edible, medicinal, and other useful qualities of many of the native plants found in the environment with many introduced (invasive) plants.
    Foraging California (Foraging Series)
    Both natives and non-native plants will be seen. This is a leisurely walk in the woods. All will also get a chance to taste some of the plants. We will introduce a few basics of systematic plant identification and ways to start a record of various species.

    We’ll bring up an important point: Many of the wild plants we see — especially the non-natives — can easily be cultivated in our own yards for ease of harvesting.

    There are also local native plant nurseries where we can obtain native plants — such as toyon berries, ceonothus, oak trees, mulefat (Baccharis salicifolia), elder, and so on — to grow them at home, where we can provide the ideal situation for them.

    Wear comfortable footwear and bring water and a bowl for eating. This class can serve as credit towards the the School of Self-Reliance Ethnobotany Certificate. Directions sent upon registration.

    Saturday, January 24, 2026

    COLD: Walk for Peace (Buddha's Wisdom)



    As protests [against Dictator Trump] turn violent, Buddhist monks walk together for peace

    120 DAYS. 2,300 MILES. ONE MEAL. BUDDHIST MONKS' WALK FOR PEACE changing AMERICA
    (Buddha's Wisdom) Jan. 22, 2026: 🙏 THEY WALK PEACEFULLY WHILE THE WORLD KEEPS FIGHTING.

    In October 2025, twenty Theravada Buddhist monks began the Walk for Peace, a 120-day barefoot pilgrimage from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, DC.


    Jesus was Buddhist monk
    Walking in noble silence, carrying nothing but robes and alms bowls, depending entirely on strangers for food and shelter, these Theravāda monks (bhikkhus) are practicing a 2,600-year-old tradition on modern American highways.

    As of January 2026, they're passing through the Carolinas, approaching their destination at the U.S. Capitol on February 13th, 2026.

    This is not a protest, not a march, but an ancient Buddhist practice brought into the modern world.


    DISCOVER
    • Why Buddhist monks are walking 2,300 miles in silence while the world keeps fighting
    • How this pilgrimage traces back to the historical Buddha’s original way of life
    • The ancient sane ascetic practices (dhutaṅgas) these monks follow (one meal per day, sleeping outdoors, walking barefoot)
    • How Aloka, their rescue dog, became a viral symbol when he needed surgery in Charlotte, NC
    • The deeper meaning of dāna (sharing, non-clinging, letting go, generosity) in a divided society
    • Why this walk matters now as U.S. war, political tension, and global unrest escalate
    TIMESTAMPS
    • 00:00 Two Symbols of Peace
    • 01:49 The Monastery That Moves
    • 08:37 The Teacher Who Never Stopped Moving
    • 12:23 Walking Through Fire
    • 16:13 Two Symbols
    • 19:30 What Peace Becomes
    FOLLOW, SUPPORT WALK FOR PEACE 🌍
    ☕ Support channel: buymeacoffee.com/buddhaswisdom 🙏 First time here? Buddha’s Wisdom explores timeless Buddhist teachings and their relevance to modern life but in this case makes an exception for an extraordinary current event. This is happening now.

    📱 Join community: Instagram (buddhaswizdom), Facebook (buddhaswizdom), X (x.com/BuddhasWizdom), Spotify (open.spotify.com/show/5ndnBU5...), TikTok (buddhas.wisdom). Subscribe for weekly videos on mindfulness, meditation, and conscious living grounded in authentic sources.

    #WalkForPeace, #BuddhistMonks, #TheravadaBuddhism, #Pilgrimage, #PeaceWalk, #BuddhistTeachings, #NobleEightfoldPath, #Mindfulness, #Compassion, #ModernBuddhism, #America2026, #SpiritualJourney, #Dhutanga, #buddhistpractices

    Monday, September 29, 2025

    One man WALKS across the world



    The planned route for The Goliath Expedition
    Karl Bushby (born March 30, 1969), 55, is a walking adventurer, former British paratrooper, and author, currently attempting to be the first and only person in the history of the world to completely WALK an unbroken path around the world [which seems to be a circular flat earth]. Bushby's trek is known as The Goliath Expedition.

    [Has he become a Buddhist with all this walking meditation?]
    Group kinhin in Zen practice
    Walking meditation
    (Chinese 經行, Pinyin jīngxíng, Romaji kinhin or kyōgyō, Korean gyeonghyaeng, Vietnamese kinh hành) is a Buddhist meditative practice done while walking. It can be done as a standalone practice or as a break between long periods of static sitting meditation [1]. In different forms, the practice is common in various Buddhist traditions of both Theravada and in Mahayana Buddhism. The Zen term kinhin consists of the Chinese words 經, meaning "to go through (like the thread in a loom)," with "sutra" as a secondary meaning, and 行, meaning "walk." Taken literally, the phrase means "to walk straight back and forth." More
    Early life of Bushby
    Bushby was born in Hull, England. He attended a local comprehensive school and joined the British Army at the age of 16. Bushby served with the 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment for 11 years.


    Goliath Expedition
    The Goliath Expedition is Bushby's attempt to walk around the world "with unbroken footsteps," from Punta Arenas, Chile, to his home in Hull, England.

    He began his journey on November 1, 1998, and originally expected to finish the trek of 36,000-mile (58,000 km) in eight years; however, due to numerous delays, it is still in progress as of September 8, 2025 [1], having made it through the impossible Darién Gap, the barrier between South and North America. More

    Saturday, September 28, 2024

    On the road w/ female motorcyclist: India


    Terrifying noises are coming from a HAUNTED TOWN in Rajasthan, India 🇮🇳
    (Itchy Boots) KULDHARA, India - In this episode, Itchy Boots leaves Jaisalmer and rides to Jodhpur. On the way out, she stops at the abandoned haunted town called the village of Kuldhara.

    Want to learn how to use drones, GoPros, and 360 cameras to film your own solo motorcycle adventure? Check out: itchyboots.com/academy. This is where she teaches all her advanced filming techniques, including getting drone shots while riding.

    Gear and equipment that she uses this season: itchyboots.com/blog/gear-...

    Follow her journey at: ITCHYBOOTS.COM. Instagram: itchybootstravel. Facebook: itchyboots. #itchyboots #adventure #himalayan450
    • Ms. Itchy Boots, Nov. 12, 2023; Crystal Q., CC Liu, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation) (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

    Friday, August 23, 2024

    The Cave: A Guided Meditation (audio)


    Hey, don't go in there! It could be dangerous!
    This is a special meditation. Linda Pappa has intuitively been drawing caves and Earth vortices for the past few years, feeling very grounded and connected to them.

    We can work with [the archetype of] The Cave in a subtle way. Fall approaches, and darkness starts to creep in. The Cave can be a symbol of winter shelter and journeying within.

    My relationship with pure Earth (artist Linda Pappa)

    Chiang Mai, Thailand (Linda Pappa)
    Will we listen and go inward, or will we stay superficial? During a Winter Solstice ceremony, I led a meditation guided by The Cave. It felt like nothing else.

    Caves, where does one begin? Caves are places of profundity, density, and form.

    Caves bring us into the present, representing a sacred space of retreat. It has always been so. This is womb-consciousness, Bhumi/Gaia/Tierra's own. They are temples, holy places of offering, where introspection and deep inner transformation can take place.
    .
    Returning to Earth’s womb means returning to our own center, returning to our Source and Ground, to the dark inner point of a sacred labyrinth.

    I forgot I buried all that to not have to feel it.
    The Cave resides inside, the deepest, most intimate spot. It holds our secrets, our traumas, our pains, and our potential for magic.

    Our modern way of living does not encourage us to go into a place like this at all. It’s dark and scary. But if we dare to visit often enough, we will not only transform ourselves, but also our ties to others, our ancestors, and the greater whole.

    The Great Weave, Lamu, Kenya (Linda Pappa)

    The Cave can be a place of HEALING, begging us to FEEL so that we can finally process our emotions, take their lessons, and pass them through us as we notice, acknowledge, and claim them.

    Inner fire digests food, warms and builds us.
    The way to make ourselves feel comfortable going into darkness (and wanting to stay there long enough for transformation) is to work with the elemental energy of fire, or temperature (tejo-dhatu).

    Not only is fire in the womb needed for alchemical transformation, it is also a comforting presence. The Cave can otherwise feel cold and uninviting.
    • [Caves are warm and inviting, quiet and stable, which is why humans have retreated into them for ages. They provide safety, security, and refuge from outer chaos.]
    What crystallized treasures are hidden here?
    In the stillness, fire brings us into the present moment, now, directly reminding us of how our ancestors lit fires inside. The Cave connects us, and fire warms us to the bone.

    Cave and fire take us on a trip to the center, into the primordial beginning.

    Fire + Earth (Linda Pappa)
    Linda Pappa and her partner David recorded the following with love, using grounding frequencies and a shamanic drum. They invite listening to this meditation by first preparing a space and holding self as safely as possible. It runs deep.

    May you be guided by the inner body of Earth and yours. 
    May you be warmed by your own Holy Fire. 
    May you be led to dance to the rhythm of your inner drum.
    • Linda Pappa (lindapappa.com) edited by Dhr. Seven and Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly

    Tuesday, August 8, 2023

    "I went to the Fairy Realm" - it's real! (video)

    Grant Geist, 7/31/21; Dhr. Seven, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Wisdom Quarterly

    (GrantGeist) Journeying to the fairy realm -- really, sober, in all seriousness -- gave me insights that are still with me today.

    Some friends and I found a fairy portal and fell into into the fifth dimension (5D). This is a genuine retelling of my trip through a place once confined to European folklore.

    From a mind that brings a story no one ever knew, here is MY adventure into an elf nest. The land of the Fae is no fairytale. It's real. It happened in San Diego, Southern California, near our border with Mexico. #5D #fairyrealm #fairy

    Friday, July 21, 2023

    Summer of the incredible internet (video)

    Akimbo, 7/9/23; CC Liu, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation) (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

    Most incredible moments ever caught on camera | Best of summer
    (Akimbo) What if there were a camera to have caught that incredible moment? There was! And here's a compilation of the most incredible moments of the summer so far. Maybe we're spending too much time online, on screens, and on the ever-controlling internet. Hands akimbo, loose as a limbo, watch all that time a go-go. It's time to meditate and still the mind for samadhi and the sort of insight the Buddha promised leads to complete freedom of suffering.

    Wednesday, June 21, 2023

    Summer begins: Beach days arrive (video)

    #Mind Warehouse, 5/23; MAD LAB, 1/23; Sheldon S., Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly


    It's time for surf, sand, and suffering! Welcome to California and its beaches (and reservoirs, lakes, rivers, pools, and deserts). Is there any greater place for summer than the Golden State and the Southland (Southern Cali)? This used to be Mexico and, in many ways, still is. It's the land of siestas and summertime blues, the dreaded Hollywood lure-and-trap, and a region that can hardly live up to expectations people who have never visited have about the place. Sure, we pave our streets in gold, but it's just paint. Sure, all the citizens are VIPs, but that's just in their imaginations. Sure, we're all young, tan, and beautiful, but that's just luck. Come see for yourself someday.

    Incredible beach moments caught on camera

    I dunno who's more dumb
    (#Mind Warehouse) Awe inspiring rocket launch along the coast, a flying boat, and the destruction of a hotel by the sea -- plus sexy exploits, explosions, and fails. This incredible video compilation shows some of the amazing things to see at the beach!

    ►For copyright matters, please contact: copymanager.mn@gmail.com. @incredibletop-lt3bu.BRAIN TIME: goo.gl/tTWgH2 #MindWarehouse #IncredibleMoments #CaughtOnCamera  #interestingfacts

    They didn't know CCTV camera was watching | Best of 2022

    Hope nobody's watching. I shoulda taken lessons
    (MAD LAB) We’ve all had one of those moments when we thought, “I hope no one caught that on camera!” But not everyone is so lucky, so today here are the weirdest moments ever caught on CCTV and security cameras.

    ►Enjoy the video and tap the bell. For copyright matters and any suggestions, be welcome at: copyrightmadlab@gmail.com