Why do waves go so well with Buddhism? There's something about sex, sand, and suffering -- which one meets with while reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on the beach. But becoming a greater surfer has much more to do with wu wei (the ease of effortless flow), wushu (martial arts), and applying Taoist principles like yin and yang to Zen (jhana) Buddhist practice, which involves mindful in-the-moment awareness and radical acceptance of what is.
Southland facing a triple threat of heat, humidity, and high surf
Temperatures topping 100 inland raise fire risk
Rong-Gong Lin II (July 21, 2026, Los Angeles); Eds., Wisdom Quarterly
Southern California will face a triple threat this week of dangerous heat, muggy weather and, along the coast, hazardous high waves. It may be better for surfing, but it will be risky for all beachgoers who get near the water.
"We're looking at an at least several days -- if not longer -- heat event, which can really be concerning," said meteorologist Robbie Munroe of the National Weather Service's Oxnard office. Hollywood may catch fire on the Sunset Strip from all the tourists dripping sunblock.
Officials warned of elevated fire danger across large swaths of SoCal starting Tuesday, with a high risk of fast-moving and "plume dominated" fires driven by heat and instability. Such blazes have large vertical growth and can spread rapidly even when not driven by the wind. More: latimes.com
Wisdom Quarterly's new book on going with the flow while out to sea among brutal sharks, cancerous sun, chapping wind, and rich territorial surf punks suffering from localism and getting into fights about it.
Why do waves go so well with Buddhist practice? There's something about "sex, sand, and suffering" -- which one meets with while reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy safely on the beach. But it has much more to do with wu wei, wushu, and applying Taoist principles to Zen practice.
For instance, when out on a wave about to ride, instead of "doing," try "allowing." Go with the flow. Rather than interfering or trying to cut against the grain, embody radical acceptance of what is and ride it out. That's what Wisdom Quarterly's resident Meditation Teacher Seven says is a far better approach than struggling to dominate.
Let the waves dominate so that the only thing to do is allow, allow, allow. Then in this allowing, suddenly it becomes effortless and intuitive, perfectly obvious and impossible to explain with words.
People do sometimes try to express it in words, but it all becomes a jumble of oohs and ahhs like surf slang or Himalayan shoestring spiritual seekers on ayahuasca down in the jungles of the Amazon with shamans Michael Harner.
As a graduate student in the 1950s, Michael Harner undertook field research on the culture of the Jívaro (Shuar)Natives of the Amazon in Ecuador [5] as he began to pursue a career as an ethnologist. His UC Berkeley doctoral dissertation (1963) became the basis for his book, The Jívaro: People of the Sacred Waterfalls[6]. In 1960-1961 he reported that he became a participant-observer by experimenting with the powerful plant medicineayahuascawith the Conibo of the Peruvian Amazon [5]. He wrote about in the articles "The Sound of Rushing Water" (1968)[7] and "The Role of Hallucinogenic Plants in European Witchcraft" (1973)[8]. Dr. Harner, Ph.D. returned to the Native Jívaro in 1964, 1969, and 1973, at which time he learned the use of the psychoactiveentheogenmaikua (Daturabrugmansia, jimsonweed) [5]. More
There's a similar feeling to be had by skateboarding or hang gliding, BASE jumping or surviving the pit (slam dancing to a favorite song at a concert). Surfing seems very safe by comparison. It all becomes instinctive and beyond thinking. It's a good place to be just for that moment, rising above the turmoil of the mind or diving into the silence of the heart. Rumi would understand. The historical Buddha pointed out the detailed Path to it.
I'dunno, Bro, looks pretty gnarly. Let's just tan.
Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual surfer (or two) uses a carefully modified wood, fiberglass, or polyurethane board to "ride" on the face, the forward section, of a swelling wave of water. This swell usually carries said surfer toward shore or to a watery death by drowning for not respecting Mother Nature enough. Waves suitable for surfing are primarily found on ocean shores. But they can also be found as standing waves in the open ocean, artificial simulators, lakes, rivers in the form of a tidal bore, or wave pools (and also in a physics experiment when a tide pool is sent back to sea). More
Surf Spots - California Beaches: The Wedge? That's Newport Beach. LA's Palos Verdes Peninsula isn’t known for its surfing outside of local circles, and there is a sad reason for that. It’s called “localism.” The area has a severe case of the disease. Located between Los Angeles and Long Beach, and possessing some excellent breaks, one would think this place would be much better known. Locals know all about surf spots like Palos Verdes Cove (near the crumbling peninsula called Palos Verdes Estates), Lunada Bay, Haggertys at Malaga Cove, among others.
A few weeks ago, LA and OC beaches were being subjected to king tides, riptides, with dangerous surfing conditions for experts only. The cause this time seems to be a tropical storm elsewhere disrupting the height and frequency of waves. Surfers may love it as they avoid great white sharks, but others will find it hard to take a dip or swim. Localism is, of course, a greater danger as human sharks with a sense of entitlement circle strangers and drive them out. Expect swells, tubular conditions at The Wedge and elsewhere. Warning: Water may be a little contaminated due to crumbling infrastructure. Sharks are a tiny worry compared to the microscopic contaminants and plastic particle debris. Enjoy.
Dhr. Seven, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Jennifer B., Seth Auberon, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
(BeachLife Festival) Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 1-3, 2026, is time for the annual BeachLife Festival. This is BeachLife 2026 (tickets at BeachLife Festival | Live Music Festival | Redondo Beach, CA, USA). Here's a weekend playlist built the old way—listening together, dropping the needle, and letting the music choose itself. It's three days by the ocean in sunny Southern California. Here is music meant to be shared with the people we come with and meet on site. In memory of Greg Browning, whose spirit is always part of the room. 📍 Redondo Beach, Cali 📅 May 1–3, 2026 🎟️. Suzanne Hoffs blew it up last year. Will The Chainsmokers or Sheryl Crow do the same this year?
FEATURING: The Chainsmokers, Duran Duran, Grouplove, Flipturn, Fitz and the Tantrums, The Offspring, Slightly Stoopid, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Sugar Ray, SwitchFoot, Bad Suns... James Taylor and his All-Star Band, My Morning Jacket, Sheryl Crow, Peach Pit, Poolside, Mike Watt...
In 1971, Bruce Lee was enjoying a day with his wife Linda Lee Cadwell and family at "Muscle Beach," a portion of Venice Beach next to Santa Monica under LAX's flight path, when Kurt Wagner — a 315-pound strongman who could deadlift 750 pounds — publicly challenged his Buddhist/Taoist/Chinese philosophy.
What happened in the next six seconds shocked the entire "Muscle Beach" crowd and changed strength culture forever.
This is the untold story of when raw power met precision, when mass confronted understanding, and when a world-champion strongman learned that everything he believed about strength was incomplete.
🥋 The confrontation that Muscle Beach never forgot
🥋 How a 135-pound man dropped a 315-pound giant in six seconds
🥋 The solar plexus strike that penetrates through muscle
🥋 Why mass without wisdom is just weight to carry
🥋 The strongman who became Bruce Lee's student
Kurt Wagner thought his 315 pounds of muscle made him unstoppable. Bruce Lee showed him that technique, properly applied, can overcome any size advantage — not through luck, not through tricks, but through deep understanding of anatomy, physics, and human movement.
This is the legacy of Bruce Lee teaching that real strength isn't measured in pounds, but in wisdom and understanding.
British Theravada Buddhist monk (Thai Forest Tradition) Ajahn Jayasāro, Dec. 31, 2025: So it's another new year, and I would like to offer my best wishes and blessings to everyone for this new year.
Of course, needless to say, the world’s an absolute mess. But it's always been this way. When was it not like this? So yes, we do what we can do. And I would like to suggest that you have very clear goals in your life -- whether they’re career goals, worldly goals, or spiritual goals -- and having small, very modest, measurable goals throughout the year to give you that sense of confidence and uplift, not making goals too far ahead in the future. This is true both for worldly and spiritual goals.
Spiritual goals: How would that work out? My suggestion would be to take some mental defilement [of the heart], take some negative quality within you -- say, anger, jealousy, or something like that -- with the understanding that’s not who you are. It’s just a habit, just something we’ve accumulated and something that we can do something about.
Make this coming year a year when you put some consistent effort into reducing the amount of that negative quality like anger or jealousy.
And at the same time, choose a particular virtue -- whether it’s mindfulness, or kindness, generosity, patience, and so on -- and put some systematic, consistent effort into cultivating that.
This is the year of that virtue for you. And keep tabs on it. Notice if you are noticing some changes within you -- small, incremental changes, not big "wow" changes. These are realizable, practical, and will have wonderful effects on your general mental health and a sense of well-being.
And having projects for yourself and projects for others -- trying to do something good and kind for the people around you every day, something that at the end of the day you can feel proud of. And you can say, Yes, that was a good thing I did today!
We have to come to terms with the world we live in and not let our hearts/minds be carried away on a stream of anxiety and aversion and so on.
The opportunity to follow that stream is always there, but you don't have to follow it. We have a choice here. And the more that we follow the Buddha’s teachings, collectively referred to as the Dhamma, integrate them into our lives, the more capacity we have to create a better world for ourselves -- maybe not the world that you see on your screens, but your own world of you, and your family, and your friends, and community, and doing the best we can in an imperfect world.
The important thing is to come to terms with, “It's like this. Right now, it’s not any other way than this. But it’s changing.” And when we come to peace with the way things are -- right here, right now -- then we can move forward with wisdom and creativity. It’s not a passive acceptance of, “Oh, we can't do anything about this right now.”
It’s the recognition that when our minds/hearts are calm with an acceptance of how things are right now, then we can see, Yes, there is exactly something we can do something about, and here's how to do it.
So I wish you all the best, in your health, and your relationships, and your family, and your community. May you grow and prosper both in the worldly and the spiritual realms in this coming year!
(Amy Dangerfield) The Bondi Beach terror "attack" is insane (and very likely a false flag partial mass casualty even with planted crisis actors), used by Bibi Netanyahu to restart his war with Iran with renewed U.S. bombings, coincidence with Sandy Hook (elite fixation on dates and numerology), and pretext for Australian clampdown with its digital ID laws to impose new centralized financial system it can control and introduce to the West. Surveillance State coming soon. Thanks, Israel. Rense.com, what is a "false flag" operation?
As fans of The Simpsons, the Forbidden Zone, The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, experimental new wave and punk, Oingo Boingo, Tim Burton animation, and Danny Elfman, how could we miss "The Nightmare Before Christmas"? It's in town tonight with full orchestra for a good sing-along. This is what it looked like last year: Danny Elfman - Hollywood Bowl - Los Angeles - 11-2-2024
Forbidden Zone: Director's Cut (Rated R) Sexy Frenchy falls into an insane underworld ruled by a horny little king and his jealous queen in another dimension. Only Danny Elfman's brother really knows.
It's a world of shapeshifters
Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas in concert featuring Danny Elfman singing as Jack, Janelle Monae singing as Sally, Keith David singing as Oogie Boogie, Riki Lindhome singing as Shock, and John Stamos singing as Lock with incredible eye-popping projections that bring Halloween Town to life.
The holiday classic celebrates 10 years since its first show at the iconic venue! Conductor John Mauceri, founding director of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, will once again be leading the full orchestra and choir performing the film’s full score as the special guests perform the film's acclaimed songs live, plus an unforgettable virtuosic interlude with violinist Sandy Cameron.
Get to the Bowl early to enjoy the Hollywood Bowl/Halloween Town transformation with special pre-show activities including a costume contest (Tim Burton-inspired costumes are encouraged!), unique photo opportunities, and trick-or-treating stations. Programs, artists, dates, prices, and availability subject to change. Ticket limits may apply. All sales are final. Saturday and Sunday night, Oct. 25th and 26th. hollywoodbowl.com
(ImDavisss) I took my new, fully automated robot pal into the Hood of Los Angeles: Venice Beach
We'll never have RoboCops. ACLU would never allow it.
There were once Slave Patrols in these United States of America, formed by white men to gather up escaped slaves and any free Blacks who could be accused of being escaped slaves, dragged in for a bounty, and sold to the highest bidder. It was a wonderful time for the Deep South and the Confederacy. Modern slavery dictates that the only enslaved Blacks today be prisoners and parolees in the Prison-Industrial Complex. Could "RoboCop" prototypes such as this one be utilized in hunting down parolees, accused perpetrators, criminals, and any Black person late to work? The mind boggles. But Larry Ellison, David Ellison, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and other tech billionaires probably have a strong opinion on the matter.
This science fiction fantasy could never happen in real life
China just launched its first real Robotic AI Policeman (already on the streets)
Freeze, Stinking Organic! Down on the ground!
(AI Revolution) China has already deployed its first real AI police robot, PM01 ["Police Man 01"?], now actively patrolling the streets with facial recognition, voice command support, and advanced crowd-scanning technology [not to mention secret weapons not disclosed to the public].
Meanwhile, XPENG, Elon Musk's Tesla, and Chery are racing to perfect humanoid robots for [sex, sales, police] tasks ranging from customer service to full-scale factory work.
Don't worry. Elon Musk's baby-mama Grimes assures us that there is a massive "depopulation" (reduction in humans) coming soon, so there will be fewer human worker vying for the remaining jobs after the reset.
With new breakthroughs in AI chips from Huawei and powerful software agents like Abacus DeepAgent, robots are becoming smarter, faster, and ready to replace humans in everyday roles.
CHAPPIE - Teaser: What will happen to all the organic human beings?
🔍What’s inside
China deploys its first real AI police robot PM01 with facial recognition and crowd scanning
XPENG, Tesla, and Chery unveil humanoid robots that talk, walk, and assist in real-world tasks
Abacus DeepAgent gets a major upgrade, letting users build full apps and dashboards with one prompt
🎥 What viewers will see
PM01 performing front flips and real-time surveillance on the streets of Shenzhen
XPENG’s android Iron showing human-like motion and shared intelligence with self-driving cars
Tesla’s Optimus walking naturally, and Zyrex, a six-meter robot, getting ready to build houses
📊 Why it matters
AI robots are now entering public safety policing, retail, and construction, while powerful tools like DeepAgent automate entire workflows, signaling a rapid shift in how humans and machines share everyday tasks.
DISCLAIMER: This video explores the latest breakthroughs in humanoid robots, AI police deployment, and next-gen automation tools reshaping public spaces, labor, and infrastructure worldwide. #AI #robot #humanoid
All materials on this site are submitted by editors and readers. All images, unless otherwise noted, were taken from the Internet and are assumed to be in the public domain.
In the event that there is still a problem, issue, or error with copyrighted material, the break of the copyright is unintentional and noncommercial, and the material will be removed immediately upon presented proof.
Contact us by submitting a comment marked "private."
Do not follow this journal if you are under vinaya or parental restrictions. Secure protection by Sucuri.
Wisdom Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at creativecommons.org/about/licenses.
.jpg)
_theatrical_poster%20wiki.jpg)
%20used%20to%20be%20hot,%20now%20not%20so%20much,%20Elon%20Musk%20baby%20mama,%20wiki,%20singer.jpg)
.jpg){kind=link}
