Father Homer reborn. How to treat parents

• What is Father's Day and when is it? (When is it?) In the US, it is celebrated on the third Sunday in June

Siddhartha Gautama, Scythian Shakyamuni

Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One [the Buddha] was living near Savatthi at Jetavana in Anathapindika's monastery.

Then in the forenoon, having dressed, he took bowl and [double] robe, and entered the city of Savatthi for alms.

Now at that time the Brahmin Aggika Bharadvaja was at home preparing a fire ceremony to make oblations (burnt offerings) to his God.

The Blessed One came to that Brahmin's residence. And the Brahmin, seeing the Blessed One from afar, yelled at him:

"Stay there, shaveling! Stay there, wretched wandering ascetic! Stay there, outcast!"

When he spoke this way, the Blessed One said to the Brahmin: "Do you know, Brahmin, who an outcast is and what the conditions are that make one an outcast?"

The Buddha was much respected.

"Actually, no, Venerable Gautama, I do not know who an outcast is nor the conditions that make one an outcast. It would be good if Venerable Gautama were to explain the Dhamma to me so that I might know who an outcast is and what the conditions are that make one an outcast."

• [The abusive terms used by the Brahmin and the respectful address that follows need a word of explanation. The Brahmin had just prepared his offering to his God, Great Brahma, when his eyes fell upon the Buddha. To the Brahmin the sight of a wandering ascetic (samana), a shaven-headed recluse, is an unlucky omen. So he burst into angry words. The Buddha, however, was unruffled and spoke to him gently in words with a soft cadence. The Brahmin was apparently ashamed of his unskillful outburst and, repenting of his folly, addressed the Buddha courteously. Commentary: Note the Buddha's emphasis on anger and hatred in his very first stanza.]

"Listen then, Brahmin, and pay attention. I will explain."

"Yes, Venerable Sir," replied the Brahmin.

1. "Whoever is angry, harbors hatred, and is reluctant to speak well of others [discredits the good of others], perverse in views, deceitful — know that person as an outcast.

2. "Whoever in this world kills living beings, once born or twice born,* in whom there is no sympathy for living beings — know that person as an outcast.

• [*Dvijam, birds, are "twice-born" in that they are first born as an egg and then are born again out of their shells when they hatch.]

3. "Whoever destroys and besieges villages and hamlets and becomes notorious as an oppressor — know that person as an outcast.

4. "Be it in village or forest, whoever steals what belongs to others, what is not freely given — know that person as an outcast.

5. "Whoever having actually incurred a debt runs away when pressed to pay it, saying, 'I owe no debt to you' — know that person as an outcast.

6. "Whoever, coveting anything, kills a person going along the road, and grabs whatever that person has — know that person as an outcast.

7. "One who for one's own sake or for the sake of another or for the sake of wealth, utters lies when questioned as a witness — know that person as an outcast.

8. "Whoever by force [rape] or with consent [adultery] associates with the spouses of relatives or friends — know that person as an outcast.

Good karma: Treat parents like buddhas.

9. "Whoever having wealth supports not one's own mother and father who have grown old — know that person as an outcast.

10. "Whoever strikes and annoys by [harsh] speech, mother, father, brother, sister, mother-in-law, or father-in-law — know that person as an outcast.

11. "Whoever, when questioned about what is good, says what is detrimental, and talks in an evasive manner — know that person as an outcast.

12. "Whoever, having committed an unskillful deed, wishes that it may not be discovered by others, and commits harm in secret — know that person as an outcast.

13. "Whoever, having gone to another's house and partaken of choice food, does not honor that host by offering food when receiving a visit — know that person as an outcast.

14. "Whoever deceives a Brahmin priest or wandering ascetic or any other mendicant [alms person] by uttering lies — know that person as an outcast.

15. "Whoever when a Brahmin or wandering ascetic appears during mealtime angers that person by harsh speech and does not offer that person [any alms] — know that person as an outcast.

16. "Whoever in this world, shrouded by ignorance, speaks harsh words (asatam) or falsehood [asantamtipi patho (SnA)] expecting to gain something — know that person as an outcast.

17. "Whoever, debased by pride, exalts oneself and belittles others — know that person as an outcast.

18. "Whoever is given to anger, is miserly, has base desires, and is selfish, deceitful, shameless, and fearless [in doing what is unskillful] — know that person as an outcast.

19. "Whoever reviles the Enlightened One [the Buddha], a disciple of the Buddha, a recluse, or a householder — know that person as an outcast.

20. "Whoever not being an enlightened person, a consummate one, pretends to be one, is a thief in the whole universe — the lowest of outcasts.

21. "Not by birth is one an outcast; not by birth is one a Brahmin. By deed one becomes an outcast, and by deed one becomes a Brahmin.

22. "Know by the example now cited [the fact that by birth one is not an outcast]: There was an outcast's son, Sopaka, who became known as Matanga.

23. "This Matanga attained the highest fame difficult to gain. Many were the warriors (kshatriyas) and Brahmins who went to attend on him.

24. "Mounting the celestial chariot [the Noble Eightfold Path, and driving] along the passion-free high road, [Sopaka, now a monk], reached the Brahma realm having given up sense-desires.

25. "His [lowly] birth did not prevent him from being reborn in the Brahma realm. There are Brahmins born in the family of preceptors, kinsmen of [Vedic] hymns.

26. "They are often seen committing unskillful deeds. In this life itself they are despised, in the next they are reborn in an unfortunate state of existence. High birth does not prevent them from falling into a woeful state or from censure [here and now].

27. "Not by birth is one an outcast; not by birth is one a Brahmin. By deed one becomes an outcast, and by deed one becomes an Brahmin."

Honoring the worthy ones is good karma.

When the Buddha had spoken, the Brahmin Aggika Bharadvaja said to him:

"Excellent, O Venerable Gautama, excellent! O Venerable Gautama, it is just as if a person were to set upright what had been overturned, or were to reveal what had been hidden, or were to point the way to one who had gone astray, or were to hold an oil lamp to the dark so that those with eyes might see things, even so in many ways has Venerable Gautama expounded the Dharma, the Doctrine.

"I go for guidance (sarana) to Venerable Gautama, the Dharma, and the [Arya-] Sangha [the community of those disciples along the stages of enlightenment]. May Venerable Gautama accept me as a lay follower who has gone for guidance from this day onwards so long as life lasts."

• The Simpsons; Ven. Piyadassi Thera (trans.), Vasala Sutra: "The Discourse on Outcasts" (Sn 1.7, PTS Sn 116-142), 1999, edited by Ashley Wells, Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson, Wisdom Quarterly, orig. published 6/21/20

Pope's brain gives way, dies, goes to...?

Dalai Lama on US-born spiritual leader

(WION) March 28, 2023: Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama recently recognized an 8-year-old US-born Mongolian boy as one of the highest [Vajrayana] Buddhist spiritual leaders. He was recognized as the 10th Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoche, but his enthronement did not yet happen. #dalailama #spirituality #buddhism

The Dalai Lama is not Buddhism's "pope"

Wisdom Quarterly COMMENTARY

The Dalai Lama on why reincarnation is not important. If it were, why didn't the Buddha do it?

I might come back as a hot female or not at all

Buddhism does not have "popes," but one might think so. The former Empire of Tibet, which extended from Mongolia to Bangladesh and across the Himalayas, developed a patriarchal "cardinal" and "bishop" system frighteningly like the rimpoches and high lamas (plus tulkus like Jesus the vegan Nazarene) of Roman Catholicism.

(Or is that the other way around? Same difference). Chinese atheist communists put a stop to that by nearly wiping out Lhasa (the Holy See at the center of the empire) and the Potala Palace (Vatican) at the center of that.

Tibetan Buddhism loves its patriarchs

The dalai lama system goes a little further than Roman Catholicism in claiming that "His Holiness" the 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso, Lhamo Thondup) is a tulku (unmistaken child), the reincarnation of the God/Goddess (Deva/Devi) of Compassion Avalokitesvara/Chenrezik (Kwan Yin), returning again and again like some kind of Virgin Mary to hear the cries of the world and pour out blessings like cooling water from a Hindu goddesses' vase to heal the suffering of devotees.

The Dalai Lama was reborn 13 times before – but not again

The selection of the next dalai lama is not an election but a search and discovery of where he has gotten to in his next rebirth, which is what a tulku is, a consciously reborn Buddhist master returning on purpose to continue his work in this world. This is unique to Vajrayana Buddhism, and only prominent in the Tibetan cultural practices of this amalgamation of Himalayan Bon shamanism (black magic) and Mahayana Buddhism ("great vehicle") tradition.

If you join, you still can't be powerful like us.

This gives the person of the Dalai Lama great power as pope and king, though China tore away his political power and left him only a spiritual leader and symbol of a nation and countless sympathetic outsiders, most of them in the US and EU with the help of the CIA, PR firms working to benefit dalailama.com (not necessarily hired by the organization), and anti-China forces.

As such, the 14th Dalai Lama's blessing carries immense power and influence, so much so that the current person in office says he may not be reborn at all next time, or that he may come back as a female, a hot one (no joke), outside of the Sinosphere, far from Asia and China's meddling.

Abraxas: Gnostic god over God/Devil

Abraxas: The SECRET God more powerful than [Judeo-Christian] God and the Devil

(MorgueOfficial) Premiered March 29, 2025: Gnosticism is about secret (occulted, hidden) knowledge. There’s a secret god, more powerful than [the Christian] God and the Devil combined -- a god so blasphemous that for centuries merely whispering its name (Abraxas) could get one branded a heretic and hunted down.

• Why isn't the powerful Creator God of the Vedas and Hinduism (Brahma) worshipped in India today? 

Gnostic symbol: Abraxas?

But even though the Church tried to hide its existence, it has influenced everything from religion, secret societies, magick rituals, even modern psychology (like Carl Jung), and even Lady Gaga’s "Abracadabra." Let’s get started on the discovery of the hidden god called Abraxas.

📚 Explore NEW books: amzn.to/4fJztSQ. Listen to audiobook: amzn.to/3BPabTM. 🧪 Unlock downloads on inner transformation FREE for members or available for purchase: 961819. 🎥 Access exclusive videos; become a member and support here: morgueofficial. 🎙️ Follow podcast stream on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3qYG2pk... 🛍️ Get official merch. Shop now: morgueofficial.com 📲 Follow on social media ⇀ Facebook: morgueofficial, Instagram: morgueofficial ⇀ Twitter: morgueofficial. #gnostic #god #abraxas #exchristian #spirituality #enlightenment #mysticism #occult #newage #biblecontroversy #naghammadi #carljung #gnosticism

Give me LIBERTY or give me death

Patrick Henry's "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" (full speech)

250th anniversary of Patrick Henry's "Liberty or Death" speech

(Historic St. John's Church) Ten years ago on March 23, 2015: RICHMOND. On March 23, 1775, at St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia, Patrick Henry delivered his Liberty or Death speech at the 2nd Virginia Convention.

Among the 120 delegates in attendance were George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Robert Carter Nicholas, and other.

Henry was a superb orator who spoke extemporaneously. One aspect of Henry’s genius was that he was able to take ideas and phrases that were part of the intellectual life of the colonies and put them into eloquent words and persuasive arguments. There is no written record of this speech. It was not until William Wirt, Henry’s first biographer, published Sketches of the Life and Character of Patrick Henry in 1817 that a reconstruction of the speech was printed.

Hindus (Vedic Brahmins) do not understand what Buddhism means by moksha (liberation, freedom). By shunyata, or "emptiness," is not meant "nothing." What is meant is no self, that ultimately there is no separate "self." This can mean self is all-one with everything, indistinguishable from the environment, but the point is that it means everything is impersonal. It is not-self. There is no ego. The personality is an impermanent flux.

Based on the recollections of men who had been present when the speech was made, the main source was a lengthy letter that St. George Tucker wrote relating his memories of the speech. Some scholars attribute the version of the speech commonly known to Tucker, but there are other firsthand accounts that characterize Henry’s speech in a similar manner, giving weight to Tucker’s memories of the words that Henry spoke.

James Parker, a Norfolk merchant who talked with delegates after the convention, wrote a letter on April 6, 1775, that describes Henry’s speech as “infamously insolent” and repeats that

• Henry referred to the king as “a tyrant, a fool, a puppet, and a tool to the ministry,
• said there was now no Englishmen, no Scots, no Britons, but a set of wretches sunk in luxury,
• they had lost their natural courage and
• [were] unable to look the brave Americans in the face.”

Edmund Randolph, in a history of Virginia that he wrote in the early 19th century, recalled that Henry “with indignation ridiculed the idea of peace ‘when there is no peace.’”

The language reflected in these descriptions of Henry’s speech is similar to that which William Wirt included in his reconstruction. Henry’s speech was powerful and carried the resolutions in a close vote.

The convention journal does not record the actual vote, but Parker wrote that the resolution was “carried by a Majority of 65 to 60.”

The convention records indicate that only 118 delegates were likely present that day. The vote was close, and the resolution passed by a narrow margin.

#patrickhenry #ThomasJefferson #GeorgeWashington #american #Richmond #Virginia #St.JohnsEpiscopalChurch #Nationalhistoriclandmark #HistoricStJohnsChurch www.historicstjohnschurch.org #libertyordeath #givemelibertyorgivemedeath

Dad jokes: Father's Day (standup comedy)

Netflix is a Joke, 6/17/23; Seth Auberon, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

WARNING: Vulgar, crude, profanity-laden, obscene truths! Wrong speech! Unskillful karma!

22 Minutes of Dad Jokes for Father's Day

(Netflix Is A Joke) June 17, 2023. Top comics like Kevin Hart, Jim Gaffigan, Mike Epps, Pete Davidson, Lil Rel Howery, Nate Bargatze, Dave Chappelle, Ray Romano, and Seth Meyers are spinning jokes about dads for Father’s Day -- from what it’s like to be one to what it’s like to have one.

(CC) Dave Chappelle spills the truth about Hollywood's Kevin Hart

ABOUT: Subscribe. Netflix Is A Joke is the official hub of Netflix stand-up, comedy series, films, and all things funny — curated by the world’s most advanced algorithm and a depressed, yet lovable, cartoon horse. Their unlikely friendship is the story… Netflix is one of the world's leading entertainment services with [an alleged] 233 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films, and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause, and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time. Connect with Netflix Is A Joke: website, facebook.com/NetflixIsAJoke, twitter.com/NetflixIsAJoke, instagram.com/netflixisajoke, TikTok.

The Other F Word: Father (punk rock doc)

A. B. Nevins; Seth Auberon, Pfc. Sandoval, Sheldon S. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit

One kind of F leads to the other F word.

The Other F Word is an American documentary film that explores the world of punk rock musicians who become FATHERS.

They transition from freewheeling rockers to parents while trying to maintain the contrast between their anti-authoritarian lifestyle and the responsibilities of fatherhood, the title's other "F word."

Interviewing over 20 musicians from across the spectrum of the punk rock genre, including

• Mark Hoppus of Blink 182
• Jim Lindberg of Pennywise
• Fat Mike of NOFX
  
• Jack Grisham of T.S.O.L.

F: the worst job you'll ever love.

The documentary also includes other emblematic subculture figures such as professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, in a chronicle of the struggles and rewards that accompany raising their children.

It was directed by independent filmmaker Andrea Blaugrund Nevins and released in the U.S. by Oscilloscope Laboratories in 2011. More

"F*ck Authority"

LYRICS: Someday you gotta find another way/ You better right your mind and live by what you say/Today is just another day/ Unless you set your sights and try to find a way//CHORUS: I say F authority/ Silent majority/ Raised by the system/ Now it's time to rise against them/ We're sick of your treason/ Sick of your lies/ F no, we won't listen/ We're gonna open your eyes// Frustration, domination/ Feel the rage of a new generation/ We're living, we're dying/ And we're never ever gonna stop, stop trying/ Stop trying, stop trying, stop trying/ You know the time is right to take control/ We got to take offense against the status quo/ No way, not gonna stand for it today/ Fight for your rights, it's time we had our say!// CHORUS// ...Feel the rage of a new generation/ We're living, we're dying/ We're sick and tired of relentless lying/ Destroy, enjoy, your F'n world is our new toy/ Dominate, eliminate/ You're gonna feel the wrath, wrath of hate// CHORUS

"Abolish Government/Silent Majority"

This pair of T.S.O.L. songs included in GTA V.

Abolish government/ It's nothing to me/ Forget about God/ He's not here to see/ We live by a system/ A perfect mold/ People perfect people/ Who are poor and old/ Lives were spent on the ladder of success/ Working for nothing in this/ In this worthless mess/ President's a name/ President's a label/ Highest man on the government table// CHORUS: America/ Land of the free/ Free to the power of the people in uniform!

People are so blind you just can't see/ Send your son to bootcamp/ Send him off to war/ If he comes back he'll be dead and nothing more/ Struggle for a land, for a country, for a freedom/ All those mindless people looking for someone to lead them/ Wake up to the same old shit/ Live your life to suit their fit/ Some people they don't like your hair/ Policemen they just don't care/ Snipers that want to be/ Rifle sights are aimed at me/ Wake up silent majority!/ The government they don't want to hear/ You folks can't feel that fear/ You can walk the streets today/ You can walk in your own way/ People think that I'm crazy/ These people just can't see/ Wake up silent majority!/ Live your life/ Day by day/ Doing everything/ That they say/ Silent majority/ Promote freedom/ Let it be heard/ Don't forget that it's only a word/ Silent majority/ When you gonna wake up?

Thich Nhat Hanh, my dad makes me suffer

Plum Village Online, Jan. 17, 2015; CC Liu, Crystal Quintero (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

I've had it with this fatso. I never want to be like him! He makes me suffer. (The Simpsons)

Topics: mindfulness, Plum Village, family, children, kids, father, difficulties, change, breaking contact, relationship, interbeing, change yourself, acceptance, samsara, divorce.

Q&A with Thich Nhat Hanh

"Thay" answers questions on June 21, 2014. Question: "My father makes me suffer a lot. Should I keep seeing him?" Answer: Transform the "father" within, and the external father will become much easier to know how to interact with.

COMMENTS

But, Thay, the poor innocent child is in danger.

Gino Asci: Did everyone there miss the fact that the child said, “It has come to be almost dangerous, and I don’t want to go anymore”? Who is this child’s guardian, and why is this child allowed to be anywhere near anyone who could harm him? The word "danger" spoken by anyone is a clear sign that there is something seriously wrong. Is this child okay today?

I'm glad I did the inner work.

Florabelle Raindrops: He said that he does not need to be around him, but love the father inside of himself. For he (the young man) is his father. If he is not mindful, this child may internalize the father's anger and become like him. When he can transform and find peace within himself, when he is older and ready, dealing with his father will be much easier because he will deal with him from a place of [acceptance and] strength, healing, and self love, not need, lack, and anger. He heard the child's desire for the father to change. So if the child wants the relationship to EVER change, the child has to do the work within himself -- not on his father. Listen to what Thay is saying. Let's stop trying to transform our fathers on the outside. Let them be. And let's be the person we need to be to be healthy within ourselves. Depend on a support system, spiritually and physically. Accept things as they are. Thay gave advice that will last this child's life, not just for this moment and situation. This boy is a child [Thay knows, who has been going to Plum Village for more than a year]. We watch a short video and can't assume we know the whole situation. These people have been around this particular child for some time. They know him and said they are here for him. More

When raped by your father (video)

Terry Gross, David Bianculli (Fresh Air/NPR, 5/10/18); Crystal Quintero, Wisdom Quarterly

Anglo-American Edward St. Aubyn, a.k.a. "Patrick Melrose," was raped by his father. Benedict Cumberbatch -- the deep-voiced actor, whose roles have ranged from Sherlock Holmes to Doctor Strange -- once said there were only two roles on his long-standing acting bucket list.

 

One was Hamlet, a role he played in 2015. The other? Patrick Melrose, a role he tackles -- and conquers -- in a new Showtime miniseries beginning Saturday.

Parts of it are wickedly funny; other parts are searingly dramatic. But all of it is riveting and excellent.

 

Cumberbatch is very convincing (Fresh Air).

The first novel featuring Patrick Melrose -- a privileged British aristocrat with a past that haunts him, and a drug addiction that nearly kills him -- was published in 1991.

Like the others in the series, it was written by Edward St. Aubyn as a mostly autobiographical exercise in exhuming and confronting both his demons and his childhood.

 

Get over it, kiddo. - You did this, Daddy!

St. Aubyn's mother was a wealthy American who gave his British father not only money but power. The abuses of that power, directed at both young Patrick and his mother, are particularly cruel and severe -- and are unveiled slowly in this TV production of Patrick Melrose.

The first two episodes cover the events of the first two books but not in sequence. One storyline reveals the horrid abuse [incestuous, homosexual, pedophilia and repeated rape] the father inflicts upon his 5-year-old son.

Drug abuse and addiction

Heroin (and doctor-opiates) numbed my pain.

The other shows Patrick, in his 20s and fighting the riptide of heroin addiction, learning that his father has died and flying to New York City to retrieve his father's ashes.

 

Two questions are central to this Patrick Melrose miniseries. The first is, Can Patrick climb out of the drug-fueled, bitterly hostile spiral he's in? The other is, What put him there?

 

For the second question, we spend a lot of time watching Patrick's childhood, where Sebastian Maltz plays young Patrick. Jennifer Jason Leigh plays his mother. And Hugo Weaving, in a role that's frightening in its dispassionate depravity, plays his father.

 

Hmm, I was also raped. Is heroin the cure?

The scenes from the past are so intense, even at what should be casual dinner parties and outdoor gatherings underneath fig trees, that you don't even notice, much less resent, that Cumberbatch is offscreen for large chunks of time.

And when he's there, the actor is so good at embodying and reflecting all of Patrick's tightly coiled pains and emotions, he takes us with him every perilous step of the way.

 

My father was a monster! So am I.

Other co-stars include Blythe Danner, Allison Williams, and Holliday Grainger, all of whom contribute to a miniseries that might be described as Brideshead Revisited meets Trainspotting.

David Nicholls, who adapted this story for television, and Edward Berger, who directs all five episodes, are both clearly on the same wavelength as the star of this show.

The title character's story is unforgettably gripping. So is the experience of watching this miniseries. One of Patrick's father's sayings, quoted often during the drama, is, "Go with the best or go without." Watching Showtime's Patrick Melrose is going with the best. More + Audio

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• HBO's re-do of Fahrenheit 451 is halting, never catches fire 
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Happy Fathers Day!

Wisdom Quarterly

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Becoming a Mother (Natureal Mom)

Ashley Wells, Pfc. Sandoval (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; Lacey (NaturealMom.com)

Mother-making needs nurturing support (Nirrimi Firebrace/naturealmom.com)

TCM and "Qi" (naturealmom.com)

For women to feel good about our births, we need to own our births by being prepared, well-informed, and making sure we have the right kind of support.

Although there is much about the labor and birthing process that we cannot predict or control, we can empower ourselves.

Better Breastfeeding (Nirrimi Firebrace)

We can choose baby and mother-friendly care providers and hospitals/birth centers, knowing our options, being an active part of the decision-making process, and trusting in our ability to birth -- all of which will enable us to become more confident and nurturing mothers.

 

“Birth is not only about making babies.  Birth is about making mothers -- strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength.”

- Barbara Katz Rothman 

Care Providers

Shaman woman (Elende/deviantart.com)

Whether it is an obstetrician or midwife that practices in a hospital, birth center, or home, it is imperative that the mama-to-be feels safe and trusts her care provider.

This is one of the most important decisions we will make. Our care provider will be the one to ultimately make all of the final decisions about us and our baby’s health and safety.

Routine visits should be slow and unrushed with plenty of time to ask questions, discuss options, and communicate preferences. Mothers-to-be should be treated with care, kindness, and respect and encouraged in their ability to birth and mother.

Check out this great post written by the creator of BellyBelly: 11 Questions to Ask Before Choosing an Obstetrician. For home births, there are specific questions that are important when interviewing midwives, such as how many clients they take a month, if they work with an assistant midwife, what their transfer rate is, and how they would handle it if two people were in labor at the same time.

Birth Doulas 

Lacey

Birth doulas are trained professionals who understand the physiology of birth and the emotional and physical needs of women in labor. They provide continuous physical, emotional, and informational support before, during, and just after birth. They perceive their role as nurturing and recognizing birth as a key experience the mother will remember throughout life.

 

A doula’s role changes depending on the needs of the woman and her partner. Doulas can encourage the partner to become involved in the birth to the extent he or she feels comfortable by demonstrating effective techniques that can be used by the partner during each stage of labor, offering reassurance about the normal progress of labor, and/or allowing the partner the freedom to simply be present with the mother and love her. More

 

Acupuncture for Fertility, Conception, Pregnancy & Childbirth

NM uses experts

Susan Minich (CNM, MSN, MSOM, LAc, Diplomate, Oriental Medicine has been a Certified Nurse-Midwife working in Women’s Health for 31 years) now integrates Eastern Medicine into her healing methods and is a noted author, lecturer, and teacher formerly on Clinical Faculty in the Graduate Nurse-Midwifery Program at UCLA and the Univ. of Pennsylvania, and currently on the Clinical Faculty at Cal State University Graduate Nurse-Midwifery Program as well as mentoring Nurse-Midwife, Nurse-Practitioner, and Nursing Students. She is involved in education and training for the OB/GYN and family practice residents at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Los Angeles and is on Clinical Faculty at USC Keck School of Medicine.

Her interest and passion for Eastern Medicine has led her to pursue acupuncture humanitarian service work for women and children in Bali and providing care to Tibetan Buddhist monks, nuns, women, and children refugees living in Dharmshala, India. She traveled to Burma in January 2013 to teach Burmese doctors and has been invited back to India in November 2014.