(Michael Taft Nondual Meditation) June 12, 2020: Jhanas (lit. "meditations") are special states of deep absorption that make a wonderful setup for doing awakening practices.
There is no way to happiness because happiness is the way
In this video, meditation teacher Michael Taft describes what jhanas are and clarifies the basic steps for getting into the first jhana.
Jhanas are meant to be enjoyable, and it's very important not to approach jhana in a mood of grasping, tightness, or struggle. Don't try too hard!
How to
Instead, approach jhana in a mood of pleasure, joy, gratitude, kindness, and openness.
Learning to do jhana is an excellent way to supercharge your vipassana (insight) practice, or to stabilize the mind for nondual (advaita) awareness practices.
00:03 - Introduction
1:24 - The Setup for Jhana (getting focused, and allowing piti to arise)
9:16 - Entering the First Jhana (moving attention to the piti, then resting until unification occurs)
12:39 - Three Things that Can Happen Next (including going into the second jhana)
These videos are made possible only by the generous donations of viewers. Please consider supporting this work: bethupton.com/support-my-work (bethupton) Find out more here: bethupton.com. Shot by Alexis P.N. @GuavaFunk: laffcotchtv. Contact: alexispn777@gmail.com
(The Hidden Truth Library) June 26, 2025: What if every drink we take dims our inner light and stalls our soul’s evolution? In this eye-opening video, we uncover the hidden spiritual cost of alcohol: ancient wisdom we’ve never heard, the energetic block it creates, and why mystics throughout history treated it as a toxic sacred taboo to be avoided. Discover how to break free, reclaim inner power, and truly awaken higher consciousness. #SpiritualAwakening #AlcoholTruth #MysticalWisdom
(After Skool) Jan. 7, 2025: In this animation, Alan Watts explains how most of us are failing to experience the reality of life for what it really is. We get so caught up in language, ego, time, money, "problems," and distractions that we miss the beauty of the present moment -- the eternal Now.
It's an inspirational and profound speech on the real and tangible here and now. What were we previously thinking, carrying on and going about on autopilot?
WARNING: This is NOT a test run. This is your real life. Live.
Original audio sourced from: “Alan Watts - Limits of Language-2."
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Speech courtesy of alanwatts.org. Instagram: alanwattsorg. Facebook: alanwattsauthor. YouTube: @alanwattsorg
Then the rich householder AnÄthapiį¹įøika [the philanthropist Sudatta, the "Giver of Alms," "Supporter of the Needy"] went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat respectfully to one side. Seated there, the Buddha said to him:
“Ten pleasure seekers are found in the world. What are the ten?
We're here to have a good time, right Bri-Bri?
“One, a pleasure seeker seeks wealth using illegitimate, coercive means. One neither makes oneself happy nor pleased, neither shares it nor makes merit.
“Two, a pleasure seeker seeks wealth using illegitimate, coercive means. One makes oneself happy and pleased but neither shares it nor makes merit.
“Three, a pleasure seeker seeks wealth using illegitimate, coercive means. One makes oneself happy and pleased and shares it and makes merit.
“Four, a pleasure seeker seeks wealth using means both legitimate and illegitimate, coercive and uncoercive. One neither makes oneself happy nor pleased, neither shares it nor makes merit.
“Five, a pleasure seeker seeks wealth using means both legitimate and illegitimate, coercive and uncoercive. One makes oneself happy and pleased, but neither shares it nor makes merit.
“Six, a pleasure seeker seeks wealth using means both legitimate and illegitimate, coercive and uncoercive. One makes oneself happy and pleased and shares it and makes merit.
“Seven, a pleasure seeker seeks wealth using legitimate, uncoercive means. One neither makes oneself happy nor pleased, neither shares it nor makes merit.
“Eight, a pleasure seeker seeks wealth using legitimate, uncoercive means. One makes oneself happy and pleased, but neither shares it nor makes merit.
“Nine, a pleasure seeker seeks wealth using legitimate, uncoercive means. One makes oneself happy and pleased and shares it and makes merit. But one enjoys that wealth in bondage, infatuated, clinging, blind to the drawbacks, not understanding the escape.
See, Stewie? We're rich, we share, we get it...
“Ten, a pleasure seeker seeks wealth using legitimate, uncoercive means. One makes oneself happy and pleased and shares it and makes merit. And one enjoys that wealth without bondage, without infatuation, without clinging, seeing the drawbacks, and understanding the escape.
The first
Why, you ask? Here's why.
“Now, consider the pleasure seeker who seeks wealth using illegitimate, coercive means, who neither makes oneself happy nor pleased, neither shares it nor makes merit. That person may be criticized on three grounds: One seeks for wealth using illegitimate, coercive means. This is the first ground for criticism. One does not make oneself happy nor pleased. This is the second ground for criticism. One neither shares it nor makes merit. This is the third ground for criticism. This pleasure seeker may be criticized on these three grounds.
The second
“Now, consider the pleasure seeker who seeks wealth using illegitimate, coercive means, who makes oneself happy and pleased, but who neither shares it nor makes merit. That person may be criticized on two grounds and praised on one. One seeks for wealth using illegitimate, coercive means. This is the first ground for criticism. One makes oneself happy and pleased. This is the one ground for praise. One neither shares it nor makes merit. This is the second ground for criticism. This pleasure seeker may be criticized on these two grounds and praised on this one.
The third
“Now, consider the pleasure seeker who seeks wealth using illegitimate, coercive means, who makes oneself happy and pleased, who shares it and makes merit. This person may be criticized on one ground and praised on two. One seeks for wealth using illegitimate, coercive means. This is the one ground for criticism. One makes oneself happy and pleased. This is the first ground for praise. One shares it and makes merit. This is the second ground for praise. This pleasure seeker may be criticized on this one ground and praised on these two.
The fourth
“Now, consider the pleasure seeker who seeks wealth using means both legitimate and illegitimate, coercive and uncoercive, who neither makes oneself happy and pleased, neither shares it nor makes merit. This person may be praised on one ground and criticized on three. One seeks for wealth using legitimate, uncoercive means. This is the one ground for praise. One seeks for wealth using illegitimate, coercive means. This is the first ground for criticism. One neither makes oneself happy nor pleased. This is the second ground for criticism. One neither shares it nor makes merit. This is the third ground for criticism. This pleasure seeker may be praised on this one ground and criticized on these three.
The fifth
“Now, consider the pleasure seeker who seeks wealth using means both legitimate and illegitimate, coercive and uncoercive, who makes oneself happy and pleased, but who neither shares it nor makes merit. That person may be praised on two grounds and criticized on two. One seeks for wealth using legitimate, uncoercive means. This is the first ground for praise. One seeks for wealth using illegitimate, coercive means. This is the first ground for criticism. One makes oneself happy and pleased. This is the second ground for praise. One neither shares it nor makes merit. This is the second ground for criticism. This pleasure seeker may be praised on these two grounds and criticized on these two.
The sixth
“Now, consider the pleasure seeker who seeks wealth using means both legitimate and illegitimate, coercive and uncoercive, who makes oneself happy and pleased, shares it and makes merit. One may be praised on three grounds and criticized on one. One seeks for wealth using legitimate, uncoercive means. This is the first ground for praise. One seeks for wealth using illegitimate, coercive means. This is the one ground for criticism. One makes oneself happy and pleased. This is the second ground for praise. One shares it and makes merit. This is the third ground for praise. This pleasure seeker may be praised on these three grounds and criticized on this one.
The seventh
“Now, consider the pleasure seeker who seeks wealth using legitimate, uncoercive means, who neither makes oneself happy nor pleased, neither shares it nor makes merit. One may be praised on one ground and criticized on two. One seeks for wealth using legitimate, uncoercive means. This is the one ground for praise. One neither makes oneself happy nor pleased. This is the first ground for criticism. One neither shares it nor makes merit. This is the second ground for criticism. This pleasure seeker may be praised on this one ground and criticized on these two.
The eighth
“Now, consider the pleasure seeker who seeks wealth using legitimate, uncoercive means, who makes oneself happy and pleased, but who neither shares it nor makes merit. One may be praised on two grounds and criticized on one. One seeks for wealth using legitimate, uncoercive means. This is the first ground for praise. One makes oneself happy and pleased. This is the second ground for praise. One neither shares it nor makes merit. This is the one ground for criticism. This pleasure seeker may be praised on these two grounds and criticized on this one.
The ninth
“Now, consider the pleasure seeker who seeks wealth using legitimate, uncoercive means, who makes oneself happy and pleased, and who shares it and makes merit. But one enjoys that wealth in bondage, infatuated, clinging, blind to the drawbacks, and not understanding the escape. One may be praised on three grounds and criticized on one. One seeks for wealth using legitimate, uncoercive means. This is the first ground for praise. One makes oneself happy and pleased. This is the second ground for praise. One shares it and makes merit. This is the third ground for praise. One enjoys that wealth in bondage, infatuated, clinging, blind to the drawbacks, and not understanding the escape. This is the one ground for criticism. This pleasure seeker may be praised on these three grounds and criticized on this one.
The tenth
“Now, consider the pleasure seeker who seeks wealth using legitimate, uncoercive means, who makes oneself happy and pleased, who shares it and makes merit. And one enjoys that wealth without bondage, without infatuation, without clinging, seeing the drawbacks, and understanding the escape. One may be praised on four grounds. One seeks for wealth using legitimate, uncoercive means. This is the first ground for praise. One makes oneself happy and pleased. This is the second ground for praise. One shares it and makes merit. This is the third ground for praise. One enjoys that wealth without bondage, without infatuation, without clinging, seeing the drawbacks, and understanding the escape. This is the fourth ground for praise. This pleasure seeker may be praised on these four grounds.
“These are the ten pleasure seekers found in the world. The pleasure seeker who seeks wealth using legitimate, uncoercive means, who makes oneself happy and pleased, who shares it and makes merit, who uses that wealth without bondage, without infatuation, without clinging, seeing the drawbacks, and understanding the escape is the foremost, best, chief, highest, and finest of the ten.
“From a cow comes milk, from milk come curds, from curds come butter, from butter comes ghee [clarified butter now almost always adulterated with lard], and from ghee comes cream of ghee [crĆØme de la crĆØme]. And the cream of ghee is said to be the best of these.
“In the same way, the pleasure seeker who seeks wealth using legitimate, uncoercive means, who makes oneself happy and pleased, who shares it and makes merit, who uses that wealth without bondage, without infatuation, without clinging, seeing the drawbacks, and understanding the escape is the foremost, best, chief, highest, and finest of the ten.”
Unicorns were real flesh and bone creatures like narwhals on land, a kind of goat or sheep.
I love the sound of bristles and sticking metal into soft wood, oooh. *Tingle Tingle* šµš
.
National Unicorn Day
What mythological creature has been more beloved over the centuries than the unicorn?
As an incredible symbol of purity and enchantment, the unicorn is loved by children and adults alike. They are integral parts of fairytales and legends.
For all the roles they have played in art, literature, and cinematography, unicorns deserve their own day.
How to celebrate National Unicorn Day
If one is a misfit seeker, one is a unicorn.
The best way to celebrate is to find a fun, fanciful activity to enjoy with family and/or friends. Get creative with art, music, or other projects that promote free-thinking and fantasy. Or try out some of these other ideas: daysoftheyear.com/days/unicorn-day.
It's International ASMR Day, too
ASMR can help a meditator
There’s a day dedicated to the odd and delightful sensations of ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response). What in the world is that? Fans of This American Life already know. It is a phenomenon that tickles the senses of some sensitive types in the most unexpected ways.
Every year, on April 9th, the world celebrates International ASMR Day. This special day is about whispers and tingles and global recognition of an intriguing sensory experience that has captivated millions worldwide.
Wisdom is Bliss (Thurman)
The story of ASMR Day began in 2012, sparked by the curiosity and creativity of ASMR artists like KellyMsAutumnRed and Ilse Blansert of Waterwhisperers.
Their goal was simple yet profound: to spread awareness and appreciation of ASMR.
It’s a sensation that many describe as a delightful tingling in the scalp and neck, often triggered by specific sounds or sights [somewhat like synesthesia].
I can't feel anything from just sound, Hun. - Shush, then enjoy the tactile sensations of massage.
,
The forest is alive with subtle sensations
Bring to mind the gentle rustling of leaves or the pleasant whisper of a kind voice. These are the kinds of stimuli that frequently lead to ASMR bliss. Think of a cat or dog companion getting a backrub. Now imagine a human feeling the same way because of auditory or visual stimulation.
Why does the world celebrate ASMR Day? It’s more than just enjoying tingling sensations, which only some feel. There’s more to it. This day highlights the therapeutic potential of ASMR.
I feel it, I feel it - the sound of rustling paper!
For some, it’s a gateway to relaxation, a means to alleviate stress, or even a helpful tool to drift off into a peaceful sleep.
It’s a day for ASMR enthusiasts to share their favorite experiences, for YouTube content creators to showcase their innovative works, and for newbies to dip their toes into a mesmerizing world.
Whether one is a long-time fan or just curious about what all the fuss is about, International ASMR Day is the perfect time to explore this fascinating sensory journey. More
Enjoy Traditional Chinese Music every Wednesday afternoon (FREE with admission) in the Garden of Flowing Fragrance. A different solo musician performs each week, playing unamplified melodies on classical instruments including the dizi (ē¬å), pipa (ēµē¶), and erhu (äŗč”). Let the music do what it does -- transport listeners to another time and place while strolling through one of the most magical landscapes in Southern California. (Canceled in the event of rain). Free with general admission.
Generous support for this music series is provided by the Justin Vajna Memorial Fund for Educational Programs in the Chinese Garden. More
TALK: Steven Johnson traces the development of play and chronicles the essential evolution of popular entertainment using an appealing blend of illustrations, profiles, science, and stories. Our insatiable quest for wonder and novelty has driven technology to achieve the pyrotechnics of rock concerts, the special effects of film, and other mass consumer enchantments (politics-prose.com).
Look at this guy. He's about to meditate.
“A house of wonders itself...Wonderland inspires grins and well-what-d’ya-knows.” —The New York Times Book Review
This lushly illustrated history of popular entertainment takes a long-zoom approach, contending that the pursuit of wonder and novelty is a powerful driver of world-shaping technological change.
I'd rather be meditating right now.
Author Steven Johnson argues that, throughout history, the cutting edge of innovation comes wherever people are working the hardest to keep themselves and others amused.
Johnson’s storytelling is just as delightful as the inventions he describes, full of surprising stops along the journey from simple concepts to elaborate modern systems.
He introduces us to the colorful innovators of leisure: the explorers, proprietors, showpersons, and artists who changed the trajectory of history with their luxurious wares, exotic meals, public taverns, gambling tables, and illusory magic shows.
Johnson compellingly argues that observers of technological and social trends should be looking for clues in novel amusements. In the future it’ll be found wherever people are having the most fun.
Praise for How We Got to Now:
That Roadrunner loves it when I give chase.
“Johnson’s writing derives its appeal from his ability to illuminate complex ideas in unpretentious language...Johnson’s prose is nimble, his knowledge impressive...Wonderland is original and fun, as well it should be, given the subject.” —The San Francisco Chronicle
“Wonderland brims with...tidbits, memorable moments, and bits of information that light up the mind.... [Johnson] surprises and delights as he traces the path of how various objects of fun and fancy -- mechanized dolls, follies, and music boxes -- drove advances.” —The Boston Globe
“Mr. Johnson’s narrative is crammed with elegantly told vignettes from the history of ideas.... The book is full of excellent facts.” —The Wall Street Journal
“Johnson...provides a compelling counter-intuitive argument that the Industrial Revolution, democracy, and the computer age were all driven by diversions and appetites that historians too often ignore.” —Kirkus (starred review)
“In an entertaining and accessible style, he takes tangents that arrive at sometimes startling conclusions, like a magician practicing misdirection…Johnson connects the dots in a way that sheds new light on everyday concepts.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Johnson is a master storyteller, weaving disparate elements together into a rich and seamless tapestry of technology and human history.” —Booklist (starred review)
“An engaging survey full of unexpected connections that readers of a historical or sociological bent will find particularly riveting.” —Library Journal
More praise
“[Johnson’s] point is simple, important, and well-timed: During periods of rapid innovation, there is always tumult as citizens try to make sense of it.... Johnson...makes their evolution understandable.” —The Washington Post
“An unbelievable book...it’s an innovative way to talk about history.” —Jon Stewart
“What makes this book such a mind-expanding read is Johnson’s ability to appreciate human advancement as a vast network of influence, rather than a simple chain of one invention leading to another, and the result is nothing less than a celebration of the human mind.” —The Daily Beast
“The reader of How We Got to Now cannot fail to be impressed by human ingenuity, including Johnson’s, in determining these often labyrinthine but staggeringly powerful developments of one thing to the next.” —San Francisco Chronicle
“Brilliant.... Johnson is an exemplar of the post-categorical age.... The ‘long zoom’ approach gives Johnson’s book power, makes it a tool for understanding where we stand today, and makes it satisfying.” —New York Times Book Review
“A vision of innovation and ideas that is resolutely social, dynamic, and material...Fluidly written, entertaining, and smart without being arcane.” —Los Angeles Times More(Amazon)
Sex and Prostitution in the Ancient World: Egypt, Rome, Pompeii (full documentary). It's an adventure of sex and erotica in Egypt with Bettany Hughes and a larger look at the ancient world we are taught so little about by museum drones and uptight ancient archeologists (WQ).
What about Buddhist Tantric Sex? Tibetan Buddhism, Kama Sutra, and Tantric Sex ChinaExpat.comupdated and edited by Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly
Tantra, by that name, derives from Vedic/Brahminical (Hindu) religions of the Indus Valley Civilization and India.
It was most common in what is today called Northern India, although it became mixed together with Southern Indian local religions such as the worship of the Goddess Kali.
A strange offshoot of it is found in the Tibetan mixed-religion sometimes called Tibetan Buddhism, but also referred to as Tibetan Lamaism. (It is a mix of indigenous Himalayan shamanic Bƶn and Hindu-influenced Mahayana Buddhism).
In ancient times, Tibet had a native local god/goddess religion, parallel to the Indian local/regional god/goddess systems.
Around the time of the alleged "Aryan invasions" of India (emanating from Iranian/Persian peoples to the west or Anglos/Europeans to the north, a theory that has largely been rejected in India), the threefold-concept of god (as a trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) was consolidated by absorbing the various Dravidian local goddesses as “shaktis” for the triad. (Originally this word meant “power,” but it came to imply “female consort”).
Sexual rites
Jambhala (Lord of Wealth) in ritual sexual union with consort (Sino-Tibetan, 18th-19th cent.)
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Although equated with Tantra in the West, sexual rites were historically practiced by a minority of sects. For practicing groups, maithuna progressed into psychological symbolism [David Gordon White (ed.), 2000, Tantra in Practice, Princeton Univ. Press). According to White, the sexual rites of Vamamarga may have emerged from early Hindu Tantra as a means of catalyzing biochemical transformations in the body to facilitate heightened states of awareness (White, 2000). These constitute an offering to Tantric deities. Later developments in the rite emphasize the primacy of bliss and divine union, which replace the bodily connotations of earlier forms (White, 2000). This is clearly seen in Japanese tantra in Shingonshu of Tachikawa-ryu. More
Meanwhile, the Tibetans were left on their own; therefore, their “Lamaism” does not resemble classic Hinduism.
Buddhism then swept in, and the Tibetans really took to it in a big way. But rather like the parallel example of the Mayans in Mesoamerica (which later became Mexico) adopting the Catholic religion but adapting it to fit their own local religions (viz. the Virgin of Guadalupe) -- the Tibetans never abandoned their ancient god/goddess pairings.
Suddenly there are big Buddhist thankas (intricate wall hangings, religious paintings) with 108 Bodhisattvas. (This 108 is a sacred number in many cultures, for mathematical reasons, most notably in Asia, India in particular.
Bodhisattvas are nearly enlightened Buddhist monastics who could enter nirvana (“liberation from all suffering and rebirth”) but choose instead to be reborn to express compassion to help others find the Path and evolve to the point of enlightenment and nirvana).
Each of these 108 Bodhisattvas is shown with a naked woman, a shakti, in his lap -- merging male and female principles, in union, or “yoga” -- having sex with him…
The 108 Tibetan shaktis are the remnants of local goddesses, who still bear the mnemonic attributes (color, sacred objects they hold, mudras (hand gestures) they are making, accompanying animals, mounts, or flowers, etc.) of their former status.
Catholicism
Now, the corporate Catholic Church, with its CEO sitting in the Vatican like an Italian king, took “The Song of Solomon” from the Bible and said, “This is not about having sex with a woman, folks. This is about the Church’s longing for Jesus” [Ieshua].
So also did Tibetan Buddhists, who ran a Himalayan empire from Potala Palace in Lhasa that paralleled and possibly preceded the Vatican, explain away the sexual congress between these 108 Bodhisattvas and their shaktis as a kind of ephemeral spiritual union.
Judaism
Judaism does this in a similar way: the Shekinah (which sounds like Shakti and probably shares the same proto-Indo-European root) is a female principle representing light or god’s holy spirit.
It is known to Judaic scholars, even those who reinterpret the Talmud and biblical texts to read as exclusively monotheistic even though “God” is always plural, to represent an indigenous goddess-worship system that was absorbed into the worship of the punitive, male tribal god Jehovah or YHWH.
The major difference between the Judaic and Tibetan Buddhist systems is that the Tibetans never stopped drawing representations of the shakti. More
Protandim, to the best of our knowledge, is the only supplement in the
world clinically proven (in a peer-reviewed, human clinical study) to
reduce aging factors by an average of 40 percent.
Protandim has been
granted four patents and is at present the subject of more than 20 independent
clinical studies.
This patented antioxidant therapy is many times more powerful than
red wine, oranges, blueberries, juices, or other popular
supplements.
Protandim works by increasing the body’s natural
antioxidant protection at the cellular level, triggering cells to
produce naturally occurring protective antioxidant enzymes such as
superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and the enzymes involved in
glutathione synthesis and metabolism.
"Food should be our medicine; medicine should be our food." - Hippocrates
Eat more whole, green, unprocessed foods.
Drink filtered water.
Breathe deeply.
Smile.
Is Protandim a Nrf2 Activator?
Protandim’s actions result from its ability to activate the
transcription factor known as Nrf2.
Protandim contains five ingredients
that are known to scientists as Nrf2 activators:
QUESTION: How hard would it be to make a smoothie? Combine powder form of each (from bulk and supplement sections of any good health food store) in equal parts. Thank the plants for working their synergistic magic. Take a teaspoon or two as food with purified water, juice, or almond milk.
Nrf2 is a protein
messenger contained in every cell of the body that sends information to
the cell’s DNA. That DNA consists of about 25,000 genes and the
products of those genes make us who and what we are [physically]. They are
unique for each person. DNA is what makes us human beings, what gives us [the physical manifestations of] our personality, what gives us our physical traits. More
"The real reason dinosaurs became extinct" (Farside by Gary Larson)
03.24.09 in Animals by Robin Lloyd Gang of Juvenile Dinosaurs Discovered A new fossil find suggests that young Triceratops dinosaurs were gregarious gangsters, not solitary types.
Animal sex is at least as strange and varied as human sex. A male might copulate with many females, but female animals of many species can be choosy, too. Homosexuality is common. Monogamy is rare. And the animal kingdom is full of swingers.
Animals obviously hook up, at least during mating season. But do they like it? According to experts, there are two answers: "yes" and "it is impossible to know."
.
"Mosquitoes, I don’t know," hedged Mark Bekoff, a University of Colorado biologist and author of The Emotional Lives of Animals (New World Library), "but across mammals, they enjoy sex." In fact the enjoyment of sex among humans and among animals may be similar in that it's all experienced in very primitive parts of the brain.
Really wild orgasms
Not only do animals enjoy the deed, they also likely have orgasms... More>>
03.27.09 in Animals by Robert Roy Britt Boiling Mad: Crabs Feel Pain Not only do crabs suffer pain, but they retain a memory of it, study finds.
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