Cartoon sex gets too real (Family Guy)

Why is Brian the [horn-] dog hitting on his best friend Peter's wife Lois? But she sees what he's up to.

What nerve Brian has! Poor Lois is accosted while convalescing in her own bedroom. What if he were to see what he's been after as it really is, foul (asubha) and repugnant?

Reflections on repulsiveness

Help! I feel imprisoned by lust, always craving what I don't have but can't stop thinking about.

.

Venerable, what is the cure for obsessive lust?

Paṭikkūla-manasikāra [1] is a Buddhist Pāli language term that is generally translated as "reflections on repulsiveness."

It refers to a traditional Buddhist meditation. In it, 31 parts of the body are contemplated in a variety of ways. In addition to developing mindfulness (sati) and stillness (samādhi), this form of meditation is considered conducive to overcoming lust and craving.

Along with cemetery contemplations such as the contemplation of the nine stages of decay, this type of meditation is one of the two meditations on "the foul" or "unattractive" (asubha) [2].

Translation

Did you see it, Bri? - Stewie, I smelled it!

Paṭikkūla literally means "against" (paṭi) "the slope" or "embankment" (kūla) and has been translated adjectivally as "averse, objectionable, contrary, disagreeable" and, in its nounal form, as "loathsomeness, impurity" [3].

Manasikāra, derived from manasi (locative of mana thus, loosely, "in mind" or "in thought") and karoti ("to make" or "to bring into") and has been translated as "attention" or "pondering" or "fixed thought" [4].

What are you looking at? Why are you staring?

In contemporary translations, the compound term paṭikkūla-manasikāra is generally translated as "reflections on repulsiveness" or, adding contextual clarity at the expense of literal accuracy, "reflections on repulsiveness of the body" [5].

Alternate translations include "attention directed to repulsiveness" [6] and "realization of the impurity of the body" [7].

For Emmy consideration, Family Guy tries to get fancy to woo Hollywood and get an award already.

Try not to laugh clips

Is it a laughing matter? Vulgar cartoon obscenity once canceled in America

Benefits of this strange practice

I remember how warm and sexy she was. Grrr!

This type of meditation is traditionally mentioned as an "antidote" to sensual lust, passion, and obsession [8].

This is also one of the "four protective meditations" along with anussati ("recollection") of the Buddha, mettā (universal loving-kindness, benevolence, agape) practice, and the recollection or mindfulness of death [9].

I love my owner's wife

In individual sutras, this type of contemplation is identified as a contributor to a variety of mundane and transcendental goals. For instance, in the Girimananda Sutta (AN 10.60), Ananda's recitation of this and other contemplations immediately cures an ailing monk [10].

In the Sampasadaniya Sutta (DN 28), Ven. Sariputta declares that meditating on these 31 body parts leads to "the attainment of vision, in four ways" and briefly outlines how this method can be used as a springboard by which one "comes to know the unbroken stream of human consciousness that is neither established in this world nor in the next" [11].

With a debased mind/heart, where will someone be reborn? What future is to come?

.

In addition, in the Iddhipāda Samyutta's Vibhanga Sutta (SN 51.20), this meditation subject is used to develop the four Bases of Power (iddhipādas) by which one is able to achieve liberation from all suffering [12].

Tara Brach, with lust behind her, is at peace.

While the Pali canon invariably includes this form of contemplation in its various lists of mindfulness meditation techniques [13], the compendious 5th-century Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga) identifies this type of contemplation (along with mindfulness of in-and-out-breathing or anapanasati) as one of the few body-directed meditations particularly suited to the development of samādhi (Vism. VIII, 43) [14]. More

• AI (simulated Family Guy LIVE action movie trailer); Seth MacFarlane, Family Guy (cartoon); Amber Larson and Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit

Happiness Poison — and the Antidote (video)

Dr. Waldinger, Big Think, March 15, 2024; Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Happiness Poison — and the Antidote | Dr. Robert Waldinger

(Big Think) Harvard University has conducted an 85-year-long study on what makes humans happy.

Zen, is it Zen? It's Zen Buddhism, isn't it? - No.

[Was it money, tripping on acid, alcohol, fighting, heroin addiction, lots of sex, smoking weed, drinking lots of water, money, oh I bet it's money, shiploads of money, a job that pays a lot, cars, houses, oh I bet it's lots of real estate, tenants that pay a lot, political office, hot yoga, cold plunges, talk therapy, it's not talk therapy is it, ayahuasca retreats,  getting into the Olympics, Math Olympics, winning chess tournaments, achievements of all kinds, overcoming adversity, martial arts, is it breathing, just being alive, having a disease then not having it, eating vegan, watching videos on YouTube, no TikTok, being addicted to a cellphone, meditating alone in a jungle under a fruit tree until the dawn of wisdom?]

Harvard professor's six-step guide to Zen

Psychiatrist [Zen Master Roshi] Robert Waldinger, MD, explains what Harvard found by asking, ► What is the one thing that, according to science, will make our lives richer and vastly more fulfilling? [Meditation, is it meditation?]

This 85-year continuing longitudinal study from Harvard says the answer is relationships. Dr. Waldinger is the current director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, the longest-running research on adult life.

Tracking over 2,000 lives since 1938, Waldinger and his team have dissected the fabric of well-being, finding that wealth and achievements fall short compared to the power of our connections with other people.

Over the eight decades since the study began, scientists have determined that loneliness and isolation can have negative effects on our mental, emotional, and even physical well-being.

Key findings of this study suggest that nurturing relationships may serve as our best source of fulfillment, emphasizing the need for "social fitness" alongside mental and physical health.

According to Doc Waldinger, it’s time to invest in the bonds that matter which, ultimately, is an investment in ourselves.

ABOUT: Dr. Robert Waldinger, MD, is a clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, a practicing psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and a Zen Buddhist teacher and practitioner. For the last two decades, Waldinger has been the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. This study, conducted over more than 85 years, has analyzed the entire lives of 724 families to determine the activities, behaviors, and dynamics that enhance a person’s life-long well-being. Dr. Waldinger has dedicated his career to examining these elements and discovering what brings true fulfillment to human existence. He is the author of several books, including his most recent, The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.

• SPONSOR: BetterHelp connect customers to a therapist who can support them -- all from the comfort of their own home. Visit betterhelp.com/bigthink and enjoy a special discount on first month.
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Christianity made me talk like an idiot (video)

Seth Andrews (TheThinkingAtheist, 6/20/17); Seth Auberon, Ashley Wells, Wisdom Quarterly

The great Lord God shan't be mocked, or else! (I'm really the Lord of Lords Sakka).

Seth Andrews gave this speech on June 3, 2017 in Toronto at the Imagine 7 Conference. It's a humorous and therapeutic romp through Andrews' religious past and the often bizarre words and attitudes that reflected his Christian faith.

• Support Seth Andrews: patreon.com/sethandrews.

Five Causes of "Monkey Mind"

Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly; Vens. Nyanatiloka, Nyanaponika

"Monkey mind" is mental frenzy brought on by the Five Hindrances (patheos.com)

Successful meditation is greatly hampered by monkey mind (Bliss Blog/Beliefnet.com)

 

Shut up, shut up, shut up (childhoodrelived.com)

Normally, we do not notice that the mind/heart is constantly swinging from branch to branch in a ceaseless frenzy seeking entertainment. Like cartwheels and kaleidoscopes, "More and more stimuli!" it demands. "A constant flow of new and novel stimulation!" it insists in fits and tantrums, pulling on its hairy bootstraps to yank itself from the peril of the doldrums.

But when we sit in an attempt to meditate, then it becomes crystal clear: This mind is no sane, serene human mind. It is like a wild monkey!

If we were to be with what is...monkey mind?

This is a common experience for new meditators -- and a frustrating reality for seasoned meditators as well. Approaching the cushion is like visiting a zoo. So what to do? Many antidotes are provided by the Buddha in various sutras.

However, what is the cause, what is at the root of all this monkeying around in distraction, frustration, desperation with the doors of the senses unguarded? There are five causes that hinder and obstruct the heart/mind preventing serenity and insight:

1. sense desire (craving for sensuality)
2. aversion (anger, annoyance, fear)
3. sloth and torpor (boredom and sleepiness)
4. restlessness and remorse (flurry and worry)
5. skeptical doubt (uncertainty and wavering).

Hear no Kardashian, see no Kardashian, speak no Kardashian (not even Kendall and Kylie)

 

Solutions

Let go. Monkey mind is a monkey trap

The antidotes are replacing them with their opposites, substituting for example doubt with confidence/trust or craving desire with renunciation.

This can be accomplished by focusing on the harm done when they are allowed to hinder the heart/mind. Then there is a natural withdrawal. One becomes dispassionate, lets go, and no longer takes an interest in these obsessions. However, this release is only temporary, possibly lasting the entire meditation period.

Not all "meditation" is a sitting session, even if that tends to be the most intensive period of practice, of walking the path the Buddha pointed out as the way to ultimate freedom. 

The overcoming of these Five Hindrances by the meditative absorptions (jhanas) is a way of temporarily suspending them. Such an achievement will make one seem and feel very "saintly" (and, indeed, this is how most of the world's religions define sainthood as it sometimes entails miraculous powers). For purified in heart, mentally clear and at peace, one's conduct is full of effortless restraint. But this is called "overcoming through repression" (vikkhambhana-pahāna).

These obstructive hindrances disappear forever only when we enter the noble or supermundane paths (and become nobly enlightened individuals. Skeptical doubt (misgivings about whether this is the path to enlightenment) vanishes when we reach stream entry. Craving sense desires, aversion, and worry vanish on reaching non-returning. Sloth, torpor, and restlessness vanish when we become arhats.

• More info about their origination and how to overcome them: AN I, 2; VI, 21; SN XLVI, 51

The Five Mental Hindrances

Ven. Nyanaponika (BPS.lk, Wheel #26) edited by Wisdom Quarterly

"Without having overcome these five, it is impossible for a meditator, whose insight thus lacks strength and power, to know one's own true good, the good of others, or the good of both. Nor will a person be capable of realizing that superhuman state of distinctive achievement, the knowledge and vision enabling the attainment of full enlightenment.

 

"But if one has overcome these five hindrances and impediments, these overgrowths of the mind/heart that stultify insight -- then it is possible that, with strong insight, a meditator can know one's own true good, the good of others, and the good of both. And one will be capable of realizing that superhuman state of distinctive achievement, the knowledge and vision enabling the attainment of full enlightenment (AN 5:51).

"One whose heart is overwhelmed by unrestrained covetousness will do what one ought not do and neglect what one ought to do.

"And through that, one's good name and one's happiness will come to ruin.
 
"One whose heart is [further] overwhelmed by aversion... sloth and torpor... restlessness and remorse... skeptical doubt will do what one ought not do and neglect what one ought to do. And through that, one's good name and one's happiness will come to ruin.
 

"But if a noble disciple has seen these FIVE as defilements of the heart/mind, one will give them up. And by doing so, one is regarded as one of great wisdom, of abundant insight, clear-seeing, well endowed with wisdom. This is called "endowment with wisdom" (AN 4:61). More

"Metta World Peace" rules!

Wisdom Quarterly

It is not often one can look up to a sports star. (Unless it's a towering human titan with remnant DNA from our gigantic past due to manipulation from fallen space beings like asuras, nagas, and devas). But Ron Artest is different. He would not let anything stand in the way of a name change to wear kindness, friendliness (mettā or maitri in Sanskrit), altruism, and peace like a badge for all to see. (Badges are available from tee-shirt dealers in the form of yellow jerseys for $32.99).

(Jayamangalani) From the sutra on loving kindness. By the power of this discourse, the "demons" and ogres (yakkhas) do not bring up fearful visions. A person making effort regarding this instruction day and night (by reciting and practicing) sleeps comfortably and is freed of bad dreams among other benefits.

Metta is a Pali (an exclusively Buddhist language) word that means "altruistic love" -- loving kindness, loving friendliness, agape, fraternity, eudaimonia, non-enmity, non-animosity, non-separation.

We are all connected on some level. And in recognition of this, to break down the barriers set up by illusion, we practice loving-kindness meditation. world peace speaks for itself.

And it speaks of one of the results of cultivating metta. The other result is immediate, our own peace of mind, relief, and reconnection.

There are 11 benefits to developing metta, and those are to be expected from someone who develops metta to the level of absorption (jhana). Otherwise, the benefits may sound preposterous and overblown. Metta cultivated to any extent benefits oneself, others, and everyone. It is not possible to benefit others without benefiting oneself.

It is altruism nonetheless, just as harming others invariably harms oneself. Altruism exists but is not achieved instantly. As the delusion of self and separation fall away by progressive insight, metta is the natural outcome. There is no wisdom without compassion.

There are three poisons and their opposites, the Three Antidotes:

1. Altruism or non-greed (alobha): selflessness, concern for the welfare of others, a traditional virtue in Buddhist and many other cultures, the opposite of selfishness. Instead of being "selfish," one expresses an enlightened self-interest by being both for one's own welfare and the welfare of others simultaneously, knowing that any benefit to others does indeed benefit oneself now and/or in the future
2. Loving-kindness or non-hatred (adosa): metta, consideration for others, friendliness, nonresistance, acceptance, allowing. It is the opposite of frustration that flows in harmony with others and the situation, accepting what is and choosing what to do from there (even if that means working to oppose it). It is freedom from anger, cruelty, wrath, and annoyance (which is where anger starts).
3. Wisdom or non-delusion (amoha): insight, realization of the Four Ennobling Truths, which reveals our interdependence and interconnectedness. Far from being alone and separated, we are intimately tied and experiencing much of the same thing. Therefore, just as we would want to be treated we would be wise to treat others. It will come back to us by the mysterious workings of karma.
   

Antidotes to Meditation's "Five Hindrances"

Dharmachari Seven (for WQ)

Buddhist tradition specifies particular obstructions that prevent enlightenment. These "Five Hindrances" (pancha nivarana) retard progress in meditation, often making it impossible. So it is an excellent thing to be able to recognize them from afar and employ antidotes or at least engage evasive maneuvers. What five?

1. sensual desire
2. anger
3. restlessness
4. drowsiness
5. doubt

LUST: Sense desire (craving, gluttony, five strand sensuali-ty) is a great distraction from serenity, mindfulness, and en-lightenment. Concentration is the antidote. When the mind is strong enough to (seemingly) effortlessly stay on a single object, there is no danger of falling into the trap of discomfitting lust, greed, and yearning.

ANGER: Ill-will is a miserable tendency that destroys calm, cool, collected states of mind in a blinding instant -- like an explosive hot flash reducing everything to cinders. Not all but most people recognize anger as anathema and unpleasant.

Most people do not realize how much annoyance, irritation, and ill directed resentment they're carrying around -- that is, until they try to sit peacefully and silently for a few minutes. The antidote is cultivating kindness (metta), compassionate recognition (karuna), and joy-in-others-happiness (mudita). These give rise to a sublime state of looking on (upekkha) with acceptance and understanding. One becomes unflappable but perfectly able to respond. "Warm detachment" -- not to be confused with cold indifference. Try it, taste it, and you'll agree. Think about it, prejudge, and you'll argue.

RESTLESSNESS and worry, or being scattered, results from inattention to the object and too much effort. More effort makes one more awkward. inartful, and inarticulate. The more one wants something, the LESS one is able to get it. Think dating. Less apparent concern with the outcome, more confidence, paradoxically, MORE success. And with more success, more confidence.

Every Hollywood teen romance tells us so. The relaxed sports star, not the uptight scholar, gets all the dates. And more thinking won't make it otherwise. The same is true in meditation and teasing out the light of a concentrated mind coupled with a pacified heart (appeasement). Too much effort quickly leads to dissatisfaction and prematurely giving up.

DROWSINESS (sloth and torpor) occurs for two reasons. The truth will out on the cushion. Making too little effort -- whether from a lack of rest, lack of confidence, indiffer-ence, or stressed adrenals from an exhausting ("modern") lifestyle -- is one reason.

The other is a habit of delusion (moha) or foolishness (bala): If in the past (as now) one was not keen to hear the Truth, not interested in things as they are, but negligent, heedless, inattentive, then mindfulness, diligence, and one-pointedness leading to insight will take more time. Rest well before sitting, and persevere. Persistence and regularity are antidotes to pernicious drowsiness. Sporadic drowsiness is easier to deal with:

Get up. Walk around. Go somewhere cooler. Look up into the sky or at bright lights. Exercise. Splash water. Get rested up. Cup your eyes. Breathe fully. Tug on your earlobes. One yoga move, and there are many, was recently co-opted by a famous teacher and dubbed Superbrain Yoga. It's called thoppu karanam: pull your left ear with your right hand, and your right ear with your left while staring straight ahead and repeatedly squatting. It's good for autism and mental wandering (Hinduism Today, Summer 2009). For more simple solutions to boost vitality and energy instantly, see the work of Donna Eden.

DOUBT or nagging, distracting uncertainty (a lack of confi-dence in the Teaching, the Teacher, or the Taught) is overcome in two ways. Simply set it aside for now and meditate. Or get up and get your questions answered. There are many books, many teachers, many ways of explaining.

Entangled, caught in an All-Embracing Net of Views, one will not find a way out. Discursive thinking is a crutch. The way to meditation (kammatthana), to enlightenment (bodhi), or to skill in concentration (samadhi) is NOT thinking. It is not.

Thinking does many amazing things, but it does not lead to the goal (nirvana) nor even mundane accomplishments. Take the first route: suspend disbelief, lay down the doubting mind, abandon reasoning from a position of faulty assumptions. The Truth is true; your thinking won't make it otherwise. The Truth is here to see and inviting. There's a time to argue, a time to study, a time to investigate and question. That time is certainly not when you sit on a mat and cushion.

MEDITATION
Sitting is the time to practice -- like an idyllic childhood spent spinning a wheel with a stick -- mindful, seemingly effortless, accepting what comes along and overcoming simply with peace and persistence. To discouraged Hindus and Christians, this epoch is the dreaded Kali Yuga and the End Times, a dark age but in no way the end in the cycling of time and history. Ultimately and with each decision, we create our world. "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right!"

Things are what they are. More importantly, a world is what I make of it. Meditation, like life, is a canvass. And any painting is possible. Since things are not directly under our control, we influence and guide our lives. Our decisions and deeds lead to results and fruits, some immediate and some eventual. No one looks back and regrets meditating. But those who regret never starting or not starting sooner are twenty cents for two dozen.