Strange discovery about Chinese DNA

(Asian Ancestry) What did British musician and artist Brian Eno know about China? "China My China," he sang.

Brian Eno "China My China" (2004 digital remaster)

New Year blessings: Feb. 17, 2026

(Zhuangyan Temple) 2026 Lunar New Year Prayer Ceremony

Register online to light lamps and pray for blessings. Light a lamp.

Joe Rogan, longevity, Harvard scientist: Imagine 500 years

Announcing the 2026 New Year's Blessings Ceremony

As the year draws to a close, we pray that readers, family, and friends are all blessed with longevity and good fortune day and night as the calendar transitions. BAUS temple cordially invites all to a New Year's Blessing Ceremony on Feb. 17, 2026, from 10:00 am to 12:15 pm.

On the day of the ceremony, those assembled will recite the "Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance Liturgy" and offer a grand offering before the Buddha. BAUS sincerely invites all to participate in the lighting of lamps and other meritorious deeds. The entire family is welcome to visit the temple and share in the Dharma benefits.

Abiding in great compassion and eternal freedom

Dear Friends,

At the ending of the year, lasting auspiciousness to all day and night! Chuang Yen Monastery will conduct a ceremony of New Year's blessings from 10:00 am to 12:15 pm on Feb. 17, 2026. During this ceremony, all will recite the Great Repentance before the Eighty-Eight Buddhas and make a Grand Meal Offering to the Buddhas. All are invited to sponsor the lighting of a blessing lamp and to sponsor other memorial services. All are welcome to bring family and friends to the Monastery to share the benefits of the Dharma.

May all enjoy the constant ease of great compassion. The temple is open to the public: Feb. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 (6 days in total) Opening hours: 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM It looks like this message is in Chinese (Traditional)

莊嚴寺 2026年新春祈福大法會 線上登記點燈祈福

Light a light Announcing the 2026 New Year's Blessings Ceremony

敬啟者： 值此年終歲末之際，祈願諸位及闔府晝夜六時恆吉祥。 本寺謹訂於2026年2月17日10:00am ~ 12:15pm舉行新春祈福法會，法會當日恭誦《八十八佛大懺悔文》及佛前大供；誠摯邀請您參加點燈及各項功德。歡迎闔府蒞寺同霑法益。 耑祈 住大慈悲恆自在  本寺開放： 2月17,18,19,20,21,22日（共6天） 開放時間： 早上10點至下午3點 ­ 莊嚴寺 冬季封山通知

• Chuang Yen Monastery (BAUS)
• Buddhist Association of the U.S.
• 0020 Route 301, 10512, Carmel
• PHONE: (845) 225-1819

Chinese New Year: Spring Festival

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, marks the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar, which is used by a large part of Asia beyond China.

It is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture and was placed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2024.

Marking the end of winter (no matter what Punxatawney Phil rituals say) and the beginning of spring, this festival takes place from Chinese New Year's Eve (the evening preceding the first day of the year) to the Lantern Festival, held on the 15th day of the year.

The first day of the Chinese New Year falls on the new moon that appears between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20 [a].

The Chinese New Year is associated with several myths and customs. The festival was traditionally a time to honor deities and ancestors [3]. Throughout China, different regions celebrate the New Year with distinct local customs and traditions [4].

Chinese New Year's Eve is an occasion for Chinese families to gather for the annual reunion dinner.

Traditionally, every family would thoroughly clean their house, symbolically sweeping away any ill fortune to make way for incoming good luck. Windows and doors may be decorated with red paper-cuts and couplets representing themes such as good fortune, happiness, wealth, and longevity. Other activities include lighting firecrackers and giving money in red envelopes. More

Biz on sidewalks of Buddhist Vietnam?

(Beyond Borders) Search for the legacy of Thích Nhất Hạnh aka Thay? Is Vietnam the most sinful [post-American War] Buddhist country? What nobody tells travelers to this part of Asia south of China. Visit Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, and Hạ Long Bay.

• Buddhism in Vietnam
• Beyond Borders; Pfc. Sandoval, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

China's great empire before religion

(Audio Point) How ancient China survived without a single holy book. Can a human society survive Freedom from Religion?

• Confucianism
• Taoism
• Chinese shamanism (Pantheism)
• Mahayana Buddhism
• Meritocracy
• Empress Dowager Cixi

A woman was able to rise to supreme power?

Empress Dowager Cixi (1835–1908) was a Manchu noblewoman of the Yehe Nara Clan who had de facto but periodical control of the Chinese government in the late Qing Dynasty as empress dowager and regent for almost 50 years, from 1861 until her passing in 1908. Selected as a concubine of the Xianfeng Emperor in her adolescence, she gave birth to a son, Zaichun, in 1856. After the Xianfeng Emperor's passing in 1861, his 5-year-old son became the Tongzhi Emperor, and Cixi assumed the role of co-empress dowager alongside Xianfeng's widow, Empress Dowager Ci'an. Empress Cixi ousted a group of regents appointed by the late emperor and assumed the regency along with Ci'an. Cixi then consolidated control over the dynasty when she installed her nephew as the Guangxu Emperor at the death of the Tongzhi Emperor in 1875. Ci'an continued as co-regent until her death in 1881. More

India versus China (explained)

Mysteries of Asia: Yonaguni (Mu, Lemuria)

Remnants of ancient Mu (Lemuria)?

The Yonaguni Monument (Japanese 与那国島海底地形) refers to Yonaguni-jima Kaitei Chikei, literally, "Yonaguni Island Submarine Topography," possibly a remnant of the Land of Mu (mythical lost continent).

• Lemuria (lost continent)

The manmade structures are also called the "Yonaguni (Island) Submarine Ruins" or 与那国（島）海底遺跡, Yonaguni-jima Kaitei Iseki.

This submerged rock formation rests off the coast of Yonaguni, the southernmost of the Ryukyu Islands, in Japan. It lies approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) east of Taiwan. More: Yonaguni 

Where is Yonaguni?

Yonaguni (Japanese 与那国島, Hepburn Yonaguni-jima, Dunan-chima, older Juni-shima [2], Yunoon-zïma, Yunaguni-jima), one of the Yaeyama Islands, is the westernmost island of Japan [3], lying between the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea.

A mere 107.4 kilometers (58.0 nmi, 66.7 miles) separate the island from Taiwan at their closest points. It is administered as the town of Yonaguni, Yaeyama Gun, Okinawa, and there are three settlements: Sonai, Kubura, and Higawa.

There have been discussions to establish direct ferry services with Taiwan in order to bolster tourism. More: Yonaguni

• Sneaky Sushii; CC Liu, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit

Beauty scam: lured to Thailand, Myanmar...

A butchering factory floor: fancy call center

A pig-butchering scam (Chinese 杀猪盘, sha zhu pan [2] or shazhupan [3], literally "killing pig game")[1] is a type of online scam where victims [usually men on dating sites] are encouraged to make increasing financial contributions over a long period, usually in the form of cryptocurrency [4].

Such scams are commonplace on social media and dating apps [5] and often involve elements of catfishing (fictitious online persona scam), investment fraud, and romance scams.

Found without organs after irresistible job offer | Case of Vera Kravtsova

Romance scam: too good to be true

The scammer (usually not the person one is communicating with but people behind her) builds trust with victims through online communication, subsequently persuading them to invest in a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme.

The "butchering" or "slaughtering" of the victims transpires when their assets or funds are stolen [6], taking them for all they're worth.

Danger in Cambodia, too

What's happening in post-war (Khmer Rouge) Cambodia? | AB Explained

How could people fall for these scams?

Perpetrators are typically victims of a fraud factory [7], where they are lured to travel internationally under false pretenses, trafficked to another location, and forced to commit the fraud by organized crime gangs [8][9]. More

Belarus, officially called the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an area of 80,200 square miles (207,600 sq km) with a population of 9.1 million. Minsk is the capital and largest city; it is administered separately as a city with special status. More

• Dark Asia with Megan (YouTube); Eds., Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit

Zohran Mamdani, Trump (The Daily Show)

(The Daily Show) Jon Stewart mocks Trump, welcomes Zohran Mamdani, the next mayor of NYC

(The Daily Show) Desi Lydic looks at Pres. Trump in Asia.

Future NYC Mayor Z. Mamdani 

Zohran Kwame Mamdani (born Oct. 18, 1991) is an American politician who has served since 2021 as a member of the New York State Assembly from the 36th District, representing the Queens neighborhood of Astoria. A member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America, he is the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City in the 2025 election [trouncing corrupt longtime politicians Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams]. More

(Jimmy Kimmel Live) Baseball, Trump demolishes East Wing of White House

What's worse, being a parent or a kid?

The new girl will kick your @$$ then steal his heart | Clip from The Gangster's Daughter

(AsianCrush) People treat you differently when you're hot AF | Clip from 200 Pounds Beauty

• 200 Pounds Beauty is Korea's all-time box office comedy (#8 overall) leader and winner for best film, director, and actress in Korea's Grand Bell (Korea's Oscars). It is the story of a singer that resorts to drastic head-to-toe plastic surgery in order to become a huge star. Cast: Kim Ah-joong 김아중, Joo Jin-mo 주진모, Sung Dong-il, Ji Seo-yun.

(AsianCrush) ABOUT: Don't mess with a gangster's daughter. When her mom dies unexpectedly, a rebellious teen is reunited with her dad, a small-time Taipei, Taiwan, gangster. The reunion causes dad to question his life of crime, until a corrupt cop turns their world upside down. Cast: Ally Chiu, Jack Kao. Director: Chen Mei-juin. Clip from 'The Gangster's Daughter'

ABOUT: AsianCrush is the leading streaming service dedicated to Asian entertainment in North America, with over 1000 premium movies and TV shows from the leading entertainment producers in Asia.  Users can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on all major internet-connected screens with no cost involved. Premium subscribers can access exclusive content and stream without commercials.

Connect with AsianCrush: Visit AsianCrush website: http://bit.ly/asncrush. Like AsianCrush on Facebook: http://bit.ly/asnFB. Follow AsianCrush on Instagram: http://bit.ly/asnIG. Follow AsianCrush on Pinterest: http://bit.ly/asnPINT.

Clip from The Gangster's Daughter | AsianCrush/asiancrush. Stream the full movie The Gangster's Daughter on AC app: http://bit.ly/acAPP. Stream on the web: http://bit.ly/2Ywaudo. Watch on Amazon PrimeVideo: https://amzn.to/2LmHG4a. Subscribe: http://bit.ly/ytasncrsh.

• AsianCrush, July 14, 2019; CC Liu, Crystal Q. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Aztec's Tenochtitlan (Mexico) turns 700

They Had Names

New mind-blowing discoveries about ancient America: Where are the ancient ruins of North America? In Europe, they’re everywhere—henges, castles, cathedrals, medieval cities. But in the USA, the historical attractions are all post-European arrivals. This video shows Dr. Nathaniel Jeanson uncovering some surprising new discoveries about the ancient civilizations here in the United States just north of Mesoamerica. See They Had Names for details.

Aztec Megaliths We've Never Seen Before

• Where is Tenochtitlan (Mexico City)?
• Historic center of Mexico City
• Discover the 3 Pillars of Aztec Genius in Tenochtitlán

Discover the three pillars of Aztec genius in Tenochtitlán

Internal empires flourished before Spain entered

(LatinoAméricaAyer) Auto dubbed. How did the Aztecs (early Mexicans) build a metropolis for 200,000 people on a hostile lake in what is now Mexico City? The answer isn't luck or magic, but one of history's greatest engineering feats. In this documentary, we uncover the incredible hydraulic technology that enabled the construction of Tenochtitlán (the foundation of Mexico City) and changed the course of civilization in Mesoamerica, which is part of North America though no one likes to say so).

Matrilineal Native tribes?

Discover the three pillars of their genius:

1. Chinampas: The artificial islands that created land out of thin air and fueled an empire.
2. Aqueducts: The sophisticated double-pipe system that brought pure water to the city.
3. Dikes: The colossal barriers that tamed flooding and controlled the lake's chemistry.

Genocide of Native Americans in North America continues

Get ready to change your perspective on the ingenuity of the Aztec Empire built not on luck but engineering [likely enabled by extraterrestrial and interdimensional advanced technology]. Fascinated by history and ancient engineering? Remember to leave a like, share this video with someone who needs to see it, and subscribe to catch upcoming documentaries.

New genetic research reveals SHOCKING truth about the Aztecs

(Answers in Genesis) Aug. 1, 2025: This is the long-lost history of the Aztecs (the Mexica tribe). Join Dr. Nathaniel Jeanson as he reveals new genetic discoveries about this early American society that will blow the mind. Dr. Jeanson’s book, They Had Names, is now available: AnswersBookstore.com

• Technical justification: answersresearchjournal.org See also footnotes in the following: answersingenesis.org/genetics...
• Dr. Nathaniel Jeanson; LatinoAméricaAyer, July 29, 2025; Aztec advances (video); Crystal Quintero, Pfc. Sandoval, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

The BLACK Kings Russia Forgot

• The Abkhazians of Abkhazia (Blacks near the Black Sea)
• Dark Ages? That is when dark Black rulers successfully ruled Europe for centuries: When the Moors Ruled in Europe by Bettany Hughes and Timothy Copestake

USA was more racist than Nazi Germany to Owens

DVD DESCRIPTION: This critically acclaimed documentary explores the 700-year history of [Black] Islamic rule on the Iberian Peninsula [Spain and Portugal]. Although generations of Spanish historians have portrayed the Moors as brutish occupiers, recent research paints a much different picture. The Islamic invaders actually brought stunning advances in science and art to their territories. Oxford-educated historian Bettany Hughes gives modern viewers a rich, nuanced understanding of Islamic history and culture while visiting such sites as the Alhambra Palace and the Great Mosque at Cordoba.

REVIEW: "The drama seems infused, suddenly, with important complexity, with great questions of war, peace, civilian casualties" -- The Wall Street Journal

"highly informative and entertaining" -- Memorable TV

Is there a connection between India and Volga?

Win trip to see BLACKPINK in Tokyo

"We're going to spice up your life"?

(Spice Girls) History does not repeat exactly, but it sure rhymes.

"Jump" (Blackpink song) released in July 2205

It might be more entertaining to see Babymetal at the Intuit Dome, LA

Get ready for the ultimate K-POP experience. 102.7 KIIS FM and China Airlines from Taiwan are sending one lucky winner and a guest on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Tokyo, Japan, to see BLACKPINK live in concert—all thanks to China Airlines, proudly from Taiwan since 1959.

(BLACKPINK) Killing it at Coachella 2023 with "Pretty Savage"

• The grand prize includes:
• Two roundtrip flights to Tokyo on China Airlines from one of the six China Airlines U.S. gateways
• $1,200 in cash to use toward hotel stay
• $1,000 in spending money for food, shopping, and unforgettable experiences
• Two tickets to see BLACKPINK live at the Tokyo Dome on January 16th, 2026

Depart from one of these U.S. gateways:

• Los Angeles, CA (LAX)
• Ontario, CA (ONT)
• San Francisco, CA (SFO)
• New York, NY (JFK)
• Seattle, WA (SEA)
• Phoenix, AZ (PHX)

From city lights to stage lights, experience Asia on beat and in tour with China Airlines—from the blinking lights of Bangkok to the circus of Seoul and ending with the mayhem and madness happening in Tokyo.

It’s also possible to stop in Indonesia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Singapore along the way—where every stop is part of the journey. Book now at China-Airlines.com. History’s calling. Are you boarding?

Must be U.S. resident and 18 years or older to enter. Total prize value is $6,800. Source: Win a Flyaway Trip to See BLACKPINK in Tokyo from KIIS-FM and China Airlines! | 102.7 KIIS-FM | 102.7 KIIS-FM

Who funds K-Pop?

Meet the mega-rich Korean overlord chaebols - Who comes up with teen fashion trends?

• Celebrate Disneyland's 70th (KROQ/Klein Ally Show)

Would you convert from Buddhist to Christian for fame and capitalism?

Wait. What happened to Blackpink?

• BLACKPINK Carpool Karaoke with Fatty McS*itty James Cordon; Babymetal "Gimme Chocolate"; BLACKPINK (summer 2025); Blinks, KIIS-FM (iheart.com); CC Liu, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Crystal Q., Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Cover up: Tartarian Empire civilization

Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day

Ugly History: The Armenian Genocide - Ümit Kurt

(TED-Ed) Dig into the history of the Armenian Genocide, during which the Ottoman Empire killed over 1 million Armenians during WWI.

When an Armenian resistance movement began to form in the 19th century, Sultan Abdul Hamid II took decisive action. He led the Hamidian Massacres — a relentless campaign of violence that killed over 150,000 Armenians. These massacres were the culmination of centuries of oppression, yet they were only the beginning of an even greater tragedy.

Ümit Kurt uncovers the history of the Armenian Genocide. Lesson by Ümit Kurt, directed by Héloïse Dorsan-Rachet. Support non-profit mission. Support on Patreon: bit.ly/TEDEdPatreon. Check out merch: bit.ly/TEDEDShop

• Ümit Kurt, TED-Ed, Nov. 12, 2024; Seth Auberon, Sheldon S. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Partial lunar eclipse after quake (3/29)

Partial solar eclipse darkens the skies over part of the planet (bing.com)

.

What will be the path of the partial eclipse?

One day after the massive Burma-Thailand earthquake, where will the partial solar eclipse be visible?

• MAP: Global path of partial solar eclipse on March 29, 2025, created and annotated in Canva by Jamie Carter using MapHub.net (Source: Esri, Maxar, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community. Eclipse path by Xavier Jubie)

The partial solar eclipse on March 29, 2025, will be seen from North America, Europe, Russia, and parts of Africa.

Although it won't be as spectacular as North America's April 2024 total solar eclipse, the first solar eclipse since the "ring of fire" eclipse in Oct. 2024 is set to bring stunning views to some lucky eclipse chasers.

Just two weeks after a stunning total lunar eclipse on March 13-14, 2025, skywatchers across the western Northern Hemisphere will see at least a partial solar eclipse on March 29, 2025.

For some observers, an eclipsed sun will appear on the eastern horizon at sunrise — if skies are clear — as the moon [or Rahu] blocks up to 93% of the sun. Maps show where the partial solar eclipse will be visible.

Remember, Mom was right. It's unsafe to look directly at the sun during the partial phases of a solar eclipse. At all times, wear solar eclipse glasses to avoid quick damage to the retina. There are guides on how to observe the sun safely. Do not take Pres. Trump as a model.

What viewers need to know about the March 2025 partial solar eclipse

Who can predict the movement of the lights?

What will happen during the partial solar eclipse? This partial solar eclipse will have a long and broad path, rising in extreme eastern North America and setting in Siberia, Russia. At least a slight partial solar eclipse will be visible from northeast North America, Greenland, Western Europe, northwest and north central Russia, northwest Africa, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Arctic.

Asia, South America, almost all of Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Ocean, and most of North America will miss out. The eclipse will begin at 8:50 UTC as a partially eclipsed sunrise in northeastern North America, and at 12:43 UTC, it will end as a partially eclipsed sunset in Siberia.

About 814 million people will be in the path of at least some of this eclipse, but only about 44,800 will see at least a 90% partial solar eclipse, according to Timeanddate.com. For all locations, the entire event will take a little under two hours, with a peak in obscuration halfway through. More

• Related: What's the difference between a total solar eclipse and an annular solar eclipse?
• What will happen during the partial solar eclipse? (space.com)
• Jamie Carter, space.com, March 28, 2025; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

From US Marine to Zen Monk (doc)

From US Marine to Zen Monk

DOCUMENTARY (米海兵隊から禅僧へ) (ドキュメンタリー)

I'm walkin here! Enraged Buddhism (mf mudra)

(TheUwagaPies) American Scott Mangis is a former US Marine who now lives life as a Zen Buddhist monk near Tokyo, Japan.

Let's explore Scott's daily life and the path that lead him to completely change his way of living. Video by Tofu Media Production, Krzysztof Gonciarz and Kasia Mecinski (tofu.media).

Look, I'm a Zen nun, mindful and demure!

Shot on Canon 5D Mark III (amzn.to/2rChZ2H). Lenses: Tamron 24-70 IS 2.8 (amzn.to/2q45ADx). Zeiss 50 1.4 (amzn.to/2rCCVXh). Canon 100 IS 2.8 USM (amzn.to/2qBWOiw). Stabilizing: DJI Ronin (amzn.to/2qF2QzB). Manfrotto monopod and tripod. Slidecamera slider. Edited in Adobe Premiere, graded in Magic Bullet Looks.

• Visiting Japan? Get a JR Pass (tinyurl.com/59zbdc5e)

Commentary

Not all forms of Buddhism are alike.

(WQ) It would be good if Ananda's student, Doggone, could learn from Ven. Scott, the former U.S. soldier who found peace through Zen, which includes a lot of Taoist philosophy and practice.

Instead of muscling through everything, efforting and straining, there's a better way that bends with the wind, goes with the flow, and follows the Way known as the Tao.

Alan Watts speaks of a great divide in outlook, self-power (jiriki) versus other power (tariki). Can we do the impossible and pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, or must we rely on a higher power, an outside source of energy or intelligence, to pull us out?

In practice, the latter may make more sense or be much easier. The former may work, but it will take subtlety that ego is not just leading ego around, self-willed as always, thinking it's getting anywhere. Will faith in something outside us save us, or must we take responsibility for our own behavior and own wisdom?

Two Buddhisms have developed in Japan over this vital question. Shall we follow the example of the historical Buddha or Cosmic Buddhas (gods) like Amitabha, Ksitigarbha, Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara), Budai, or whoever? It is the Kali Yuga (the "Decadent Age") after all, as the Hindu Vedas tell Mahayana Buddha.

Let's repeat this basic message in the next post with an added video of Watts making the great distinction in religious endeavor: self-power vs. other-power.

• Krzysztof Gonciarz, Kasia Mecinski (tofu.media), March 17, 2015; Pfc. Sandoval, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly