This weekend (either Saturday or Sunday), Hsi Lai Temple will be conducting a noontime offering to the great Kwan Yin Pusa (GuanyinBodhisattva), who began as the male deva Avalokita (Avalokitesvara).
It is unknown which day it will be because it is officially posted as "Sunday, 8/1, at 10:00 am, but Sunday is 8/2, Aug. 2, 2026. So maybe it starts on Saturday at 10 and culminates with noontime offerings at 12 the next day? Call the temple for proper details.
It will be located in the Hsi Lai Temple main shrine at the top of the steps near the giant incense cauldron that looks like the Liberty Bell. Fortunately, for the Fo Guang Shan (lit. "Buddha's* Light Mountain") Movement Buddhists of the world and others, there will be a Livestream (live from Los Angeles):
Buddha's Light Mountain
Fo Guang Shan (FGS, Chinese 佛光山, Pinyin Fó guāng shān, lit. "Buddha's Light Mountain") is an international Chinese Mahāyāna Buddhist organization and monastic order. It is based in Taiwan and practices Humanistic Buddhism, whose roots are traced to the Linji School of Chan Buddhism.
The headquarters, Fo Guang Shan Monastery, is located in Dashu District, Kaohsiung, Buddhist Taiwan, and is the largest Buddhist monastery in the island country .
[Of course, mainland China lays claim to Taiwan as an integral part of the PRC (People's Republic of China) just as it insists that Bon/Vajrayana Buddhist Tibet and similarly oppressed Muslim XinjiangUyghur Autonomous Region in the northwest are part and parcel of the nominally communist actively capitalist post-kingdom].
The organization is also one of the largest charity organizations in Taiwan. Its counterpart for laypeople is known as the Buddha's Light International Association. Founded in 1967 by Hsing Yun, the order promotes Humanistic Buddhism and is known for its efforts in the modernization of Chinese Buddhism.
The modernist order is famous for its use of technology, and its temples are often furnished with the latest equipment [1, 2]. Hsing Yun's stated position for Fo Guang Shan is that it is an "amalgam of all Eight Schools of Chinese Buddhism." More
(*Sadly, while it sounds like one big, united Buddhist family, in fact the Buddha in the title refers to the "Cosmic Buddha" Amitabha, as in Amitofu, not the historical one from Earth, who is lovingly called the Sage of Scythian Shakya/Saka Clan, Shakyamuni, Siddhartha Gautama)
Hsi Lai Temple, Los Angeles; CC Liu, Crystal Q. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit FGS
Dhp. 1. Mind precedes all mental states. [Mind is the forerunner of all conditions.] Mind is their chief; they are all mind-made (wrought). If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts, suffering follows one like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.
2. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-made. If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts, happiness follows one like one's never-departing shadow.
3. "That person abused me, struck me, overpowered me, robbed me!" Those who harbor such thoughts will not still their hatred.... More
Last month's blue moon was really June's? The Gregorian calendar really fails us, making the lunar calendar of 13 months (moonths, since every year has 13 full moons, one each moonth) or even the Chinese lunisolar calendar look very appealing by comparison.
How long is a moonth? It is four weeks. How long is a week? It is seven days. How long is a day? About 24 hours or so. And the surprise is that, agreeing on all of these numbers as most Westerners will, what number __ x 28 (four weeks or a month) will give us 365 days?
Mmm, is it 12? - No, it is not. - Oh, is it 11 then? - No, and you're only getting colder. - You don't mean it's 13, do you, because that's bad luck! We can't have 13 anywhere or bad luck will happen, and I'm already afraid that you brought it up! It's 12, right? It has to be 12 because 12 months equal one year!
The number is 13 because 13 x 28 = 364 + plus 1 turnaround (New Year's) day to reset for the next year. This is astronomy in action, only we've been lied to for so long and taught to fear the evil, wrong, bad "thirteen" with superstitions and stupidity for so long that we do not even question it.
It's like a Roman religion, and we all just do what we're told. But 13 is a holy number with many excellent attributes, not the least of which is that's how many natural full moons and months we have each year. The ancient Vedas and Sumerian texts were onto something, so why did moderns try to take that away from us, detach us from our celestial clock, our connection to the seasons, solstices, sabbaths (a word that literally means "Saturdays," which we have been conned into thinking is synonymous with solar worship on Sundays), and a more reliable calendar?
There is a way to construct it so that holidays do not jump around in a haphazard way necessitating a priestly caste to interpret the signs for us every time we want to commemorate something. The indigenous people knew it, as did the aboriginal, and the wise women (cursed as "witches"), the pagans, and the heathens, the Gnostics and the Buddhists. The Buddha set aside one day a week to observe the uposatha or "fasting" day (because one only eats between dawn and noon and not after) of observing the Eight Precepts.
Of the four weeks in a month, the full moon observance is the most obvious so it seems the most special, as in if you're only going to follow one a month, this would be the one. Anyone can look up and see that it is time to reflect on the Dhamma, invest in our meditation practice or sadhana, and hear the Teachings of the Awakened One.
"Meditators, suppose that this great earth were completely covered with water and a person were to toss a ring with a single hole onto the surface.
"A wind from the east would send it west, a wind from the west would send it east, a wind from the north would send it south, and a wind from the south would send it north.
"Moreover, suppose there were a blind turtle that surfaced only once every 100 years.
"Now, what do you think? How likely is it that that blind turtle, coming to the surface only once every 100 years, would ever stick its head through that ring?"
"It would be very improbable, venerable sir! It would only be by chance that a blind turtle, coming to the surface only once every 100 years, would stick its head through that ring [being tossed around by wind]."
"Likewise, meditators, it is very improbable, mere chance that [at any given time] one obtains a human rebirth.
"Likewise, it is very improbable, mere chance that a Tathagata [a fully enlightened teaching buddha], worthy and rightly self-awakened, ever arises in the world.
"Likewise, it is very improbable, mere chance that a Doctrine and Discipline [Dhamma-Vinaya] expounded by a Tathagata appears in the world.
"But now this human rebirth has been obtained. A Tathagata, worthy and rightly self-awakened, has arisen in the world. A Doctrine and Discipline expounded by a Tathagata has appeared in the world.
"Therefore, take as [an extraordinarily rare and] sacred duty to contemplating [these four enlightening/liberating truths]:
'This is [the meaning of] suffering...
This is the origin of suffering...
This is the end of suffering.'
Undertake the duty of contemplating: 'This is the path-of-practice that leads to the end of suffering.'"
In retrospect, the historical Buddha might have said:
This is pleasure (sukha)...
This the origin of pleasure...
This is the end of pleasure (dukkha)...
This is the path-of-practice that leads to more and more pleasure [until one reaches the ultimate and unsurpassable bliss of nirvana.]
Why didn't he? It must have occurred to him. One very likely reason is that this is not the path of hedonism (pleasure-seeking as the ultimate good). Making an end of
1. What is "suffering" and could we talk about pleasure instead?
What is dukkha(disappointment, distress, unsatisfactoriness)? There is no need for confusion about dukkha or displeasure with translating it as "suffering." It is the nature of Pali and Sanskrit that a term has a RANGE of meaning, from agitation to agony.
All of these are dukkha, which could be rendered "off-kilter," like the wheel of an ox-cart that is off center and making for a bumpy and unpleasant ride. The Buddha defines exactly what he means by the word: "Not getting what one wants, getting what one doesn't want, being separated from or losing what one loves, being joined with what one detests." In short, the Five Aggregates clung to as self (the khandha or skandha) are disappointing, painful, unable to ever fulfill, and are thus unsatisfactory and suffering.
(Wiki) According to Monier Monier-Williams, the actual roots of the Pali term dukkha appear to be Sanskrit दुस्- (dus-, "bad") + स्था (sthā, "to stand") [9, Note 2]. Irregular changes in the development of Sanskrit into the various Prakrits [ancient hybrid languages] led to a shift from dus-sthā to duḥkha to dukkha.
Western Theravada Buddhist monk Analayo
Western scholar-monk Ven. Analayo concurs, stating that dukkha as derived from duḥ-sthā, "standing badly," conveys nuances of "uneasiness" or of being "uncomfortable" [16].
Silk Road philologist Christopher I. Beckwith elaborates on this derivation [17]. According to him: "...although the sense of duḥkha in Normative Buddhism is traditionally given as 'suffering,' that and similar interpretations are highly unlikely for Early Buddhism.
"Significantly, Monier-Williams himself doubts the usual explanation of duḥkha and presents an alternative one immediately after it, namely: duḥ-stha "'standing badly,' unsteady, disquieted (literally and figuratively); uneasy," and so on.
"This form is also attested, and makes much better sense as the opposite of the Rig Veda sense of sukha, which Monier-Williams gives in full [11, Note 3].
Translation
The literal meaning of duḥkha, as used in a general sense, is "suffering" or "painful" [Note 4]. Its exact translation depends on the context [Note 5].
Contemporary translators of Buddhist texts use a variety of English words to convey the [many] aspects of dukh.
Early Western translators of Buddhist texts (before the 1970s) typically translated the Pali term dukkha as "suffering." Later translators have emphasized that "suffering" is a too [harsh and too] limited translation for the term duḥkha and have preferred to either leave the term untranslated [15] or to clarify that translation with terms such as
anxiety,
distress,
frustration,
unease,
unsatisfactoriness,
not [getting] having what one wants,
having what one does not want, and so on [19, 20, 21, Note 6].
In the sequence "[re]birth is dukkha," it may be translated as "painful" [22].
The opposite of pleasure
But I want what I want when I want it!!!
When related to vedana ("sensation" or "feeling") dukkha ("unpleasant," "painful") is the opposite of sukha ("pleasure," "pleasant"), yet all feelings are dukkha [unsatisfactory, disappointing] in that they are impermanent, conditioned [impersonal] phenomena, which are unsatisfactory, incapable of providing lasting satisfaction or actual enduring fulfillment.
The term "unsatisfactoriness" then is often used to emphasize the unsatisfactoriness of "life under the influence of afflictions and polluted karma" [23, 24, 25, 26, 27, a], but it would equally well -- though much less obviously -- apply to sukha.
All pleasure ultimately fails to fulfill, satisfy, make us happy exactly because the nature of ALL conditioned (dependently originated or co-arisen) phenomena is beset by what the Buddha described as three universal characteristics or the Three Marks of All Conditioned Existence (ti-lakkhana) and transient states.
Early Buddhism
Dukkha is one of the three marks of existence -- namely anicca ("impermanent"), dukkha ("unsatisfactory"), anatta ("impersonal," "not-self," "empty," devoid of an enduring essence) [Note 7].
Various Pali canon sutras (discourses) sum up how cognitive processes result in an aversion to unpleasant things and experiences (dukkha), forming a corrupted process together with the complementary process of craving and clinging to pleasure (sukha).
What does dukkha mean?
This is expressed as saṃsāra, an ongoing process of [re-]death and rebirth [Note 8], but also more pointedly and non-metaphysically in the process-formula of the Five Aggregates clung to as self (skandhas):
[Re-] birth is dukkha (disappointing),
aging is dukkha,
deteriorating is dukkha,
illness is dukkha,
death is dukkha;
sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair are dukkha;
association with what we don't like is dukkha;
separation from the liked is duḥkha;
not getting what is wanted is dukkha.
In summary, the Five Aggregates clung to as self (khandhas) are dukkha. More
Amber Larson and Dhr. Seven (eds.), Chiggala Sutta: "The Hole" (SN 56:48) based on a translation by American Thai Theravada monk Ven. Thanissaro (Geoffrey DeGraff, abbot, Wat Metta, CA), Wiki editdukkha
Friday the 13th: curse, coincidence, or cultural myth? Let's dig into the legend of Friday the 13th. Where did this fake superstition start? Why do buildings skip the 13th floor? Why do millions still change their plans on this date? From the Knights Templar to Hollywood horror films, let's break down the history, psychology, and alleged strange events tied to the most feared day on the calendar.
We spent the day at the largest Chinese New Year celebration in the United States (roughly the size of Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel, Upstate New York). Hsi Lai (pronounced \she lie\, which means "Going West") Temple had it all, including Aztec dancers (Danza Azteca, perhaps representing Siberian Asians cum Native Americans who are mostly local Mexicans) topping off a cultural show of martial arts demonstrations, dances, dragons, and a big central horse representing the year to come.
The lines were out the door but moving fast.
The all-you-can-eat vegan buffet was great (daily, only $10) with noodles, veggies, sweet and sour, tofu, lotus roots, soup, tea, fruit, and fried Indian dharma wheels. The rare rainstorm in Los Angeles cleared the skies as the sun broke through for the outdoor festivities.
We have never seen the temple, said to be the largest in the Western Hemisphere, this crowded. Parking was only found blocks away, and buses were bringing in celebrants. Everyone had their phones out, filming the spectacle. And even the monastics were clapping and enjoying themselves.
Everyone was immersed in Chinese culture uniquely blending with this part of Mexico. (Yes, California is part of Mexico or was until our empire stole it from Spain's empire). Perhaps 20,000 well-wishers passed through the gates throughout the day. Festivities continue for two weeks.
(ABC7) Powerball nears record with $1.3 billion jackpot for tonight's drawing. Sept.. 3, 2025: The Powerball jackpot for Wednesday night's drawing has soared to an estimated $1.3-$1.4 billion, the fifth-biggest in the lottery's history, after no one claimed the top prize earlier this week, winning a measly million (before taxes). abc7.com/post/powerball...
It looks like this will end up being the 4th biggest
(SunnyV2) Playing the lottery is already incredibly stup*d. However, of all the stup*d lottery winners, there are going to be a few who are extra d*mb, including people who won the jackpot then lost everything.
From accidentally throwing a 3-million-pound (dollar) lottery ticket in the bin (trash), to spending a $16.2 million dollar prize in under 90 days, these are the absolute dumbest and stup*dest lottery winners of all time.
(NBC Connecticut) One in 292,000,000 is the chance of winning
What's karma got to do with it?
Dhr. Seven and Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly 2025
For one who knows and sees
The biggest mistake I hear when listening to people talk about karma -- other than mistaking the results (fruit) for the actions, the reaping (harvest) for the sowing -- is the implicit assumption that it's what one did in this life.
When we look at someone and judge her or him, that is a judgment. It is not a reality. The unseen reality is that that person is so much more than can be seen. People are the results of their previous actions, what they did long ago and what they are doing now at this moment, both. It may be possible to do something now and seem to get the opposite result.
However, when we examine ourselves under successful meditation (profound calm and the pursuit of insight or samatha-vipassana), we can see that most of the welcome and unwelcome results manifesting now were planted long ago.
How to win? Liquify LUCK (Dr. Gallenberger)
All we do, say, think follows us with fruit.
It is relatively rare for a recent action to bear sudden results. There is usually a period of maturation, bearing fruit, ripening. So it is wise to persist in the good (skillful, wholesome, harmless) as it will surely bear fruit at some point.
Likewise, it is foolish to persist in the bad (unskillful, unwholesome, harmful) because it does not seem to have yet borne any unwelcome results. What is "good," what is "bad"? That is very easy to answer, though it may be unbelievable, in karmic terms. The real "karma," according to the Buddha is the cetana (motivation, intention, impulse) behind an act, not the act itself. With this in mind, there are six major causes or roots of ALL actions (karma):
nondelusion (insight, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, right view).
Karma: It's everywhere you're going to be.
For any act (deed, impulsive acting out, conduct), we can reflect and seek out our own underlying motive. In this way we can know the intention (motive) behind our karma (act). It will be rooted in one of these six. The first three invariably lead to eventual harm, both immediate in terms of disturbing our mind/heart and conscience if we still have one to save us and eventual in terms of bearing fruit long after the seed was sown (planted). This is a universal law (niyama) and not the Buddha's doing. He made it known to help all living beings be happy here and now and be liberated at some time in the future.
But isn't it wrong to WANT to be a millionaire or billionaire or trillionaire? - No. Wanting is normal. Any wanting may lead to that much disappointment, and certainly if greed (tanha become lobha, thirst become avaraice) gets a hold of us, that is very likely to lead to some very unskillful karma (deeds).
Living in an Abrahamic society that calls itself Judeo-Christian, we are taught to believe that, "Money is the root of all evil." While this is not incorrect as such, it is incomplete. It's not what the Bible says. Look it up. The popular KJV says that it is the LOVE of money that is the root of all evil, and that seems closer to what we find. "Desire" is not bad, as many Westerners misunderstand Buddhism to be saying. Craving is, which is to say, greed motivates many unskillful deeds, and these will have very painful results for a long time. We can see in ourselves, with no external authority telling us what's what, that the moment craving arises, unsatisfactoriness co-arises. With these springs hopes, plans, schemes, expectations...we're just setting ourselves up for a bigger and bigger fall. But say I want something -- more food, more comfort, more Avenged Sevenfold songs, more sex, more more more whatever -- and I'm willing to strive for it and worry about it and waste my time for it. Okay. So long as it's done in a lawful (codified consensus reality of the rules of our society) and harmless (ahimsa) way, that's fine. That's good. Go for it. But be aware, at least, that it will not satisfy greed. It will not (cannot) fulfill us. And in the meantime, we have not been cultivating the skillful that would lead to welcome results now and in the future. Compassion and wisdom pay great dividends, as does mindfulness.
Thanks for watching. Like and sub if enjoyed, SunnyV2 XO ❤
The idea for this video was inspired by "TheRichest," who posted a video on a similar topic in March 2015 entitled "10 Stupid Lottery Winners." Watch that version on YouTube.com.
Schultz LIVE; ABC News 7, Los Angeles, Sept. 3, 2025; SunnyV2, Nov. 17, 2022; Seth Auberon, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Who would go from LA or the OC all the way to the Inland Empire near the site of the Coachella Festival just to lounge around a pool of a massive Indian casino? KROQ 106.7 FM fans, that's who and chronic gamblers trying to make reparations to the Native Americans of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians while angling to win back those reparations and then some by "games" of chance that are designed to favor the house and scrrw the "players" into "gaming." F around and find out. Gambling is a dopamine illness with severe financial consequences. Stay away from alcohol while courting Lady Luck (the Goddess Fortuna). And don't dream of going down there with Liquid Luck. That's our PSA for the day.
What is the FAT founder of world's third largest religion (when the 1 billion uncounted Buddhists in communist, and therefore officially atheist, Buddhists are counted) in the world going to teach us about being fit? The fact is the popular depiction of "Fat Happy Buddha" is not the historical Buddha Shakyamuni (born Prince Siddhartha Gautama) but rather a monk (now elevated to bodhisattva) named Budai (also Putai, Hotei), a Chinese monk with a big sack of candy for children, a luck-bringing jolly fellow very reminiscent of the West's Santa Claus.
Fat on a slippery wet diving board
ABOUT: Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, is professor of medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the founder and director of its renowned Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Clinic. His clinic was featured in 1993 in the public television series Healing and the Mind with Bill Moyers. Jon Kabat-Zinn is the author of 15 books, in print in over 45 languages. These include Full Catastrophe Living; Wherever You Go, There You Are; Coming to Our Senses; and Mindfulness for Beginners.
(ReligionForBreakfast)
Feb. 20, 2025: Korean Shamanism (Musok with its trance mansins) is a dynamic religious tradition rooted in spirit mediation (not meditation), ritual healing, and ancestral veneration to appease the spirits all around.
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