(Sky News Australia) Shop Amazon.com because it ain't cheap for CEO Jeff Bezos to pull off stunts like this. Sky News All Stars. An all-female Blue Origin space crew with celebrities including Katy Perry, Lauren Sanchez and Oprah Junior Gayle King has been hilariously mocked after it returned to earth following an 11-minute trip into space.
Katy Perry jumped out of the aircraft and kissed the ground in a painfully cringe moment that has been roasted online.
How does Buddhism view women and female enlightenment? The historical Buddha had enlightened female disciples -- many Scythian/Shakyian women, his wife (Rahula Mata, Yasodhara, Bimba Devi, Bhaddha Kaccana), mother (Maha Pajapati Gotama, who was made the world's first Buddhist nun), sister (Sundari Nanda)...
The concept of the ḍākinī differs depending on the context and tradition. For instance, in earlier Hindu texts and East Asian esoteric Buddhism, the term denotes a race of demonesses who ate the flesh and/or vital essence of humans.
In Hindu Tantric literature, Ḍākinī is the name of a goddess often associated with one of the six chakras or the seven fundamental elements (dhātus) of the human body.
In Nepalese and Tibetan Buddhism, meanwhile, ḍākinī (also wisdom ḍākinī) can refer to both what can be best described as fierce-looking female embodiments of enlightened energy and to human women with a certain amount of spiritual development, both of which can help Tantric initiates attaining enlightenment.
In Japan, the ḍākinīs are held in the East Asian Buddhist tradition to have been subjugated and converted to Buddhism by the Mahayana Buddha Vairocana under the guise of the god Mahākāla (Daikokuten in Japanese).
They were eventually coalesced into a single deity called Dakiniten (荼枳尼天, 吒枳尼天, or 荼吉尼天), who, after becoming syncretized with the native agricultural deity Inari (kami), became linked to fox (kitsune) iconography associated with the latter. More
The real-life Tara is a fierce and determined meditator who overcame much (tarabrach.com).
Actor Julia Fox says working as a dominatrix [sexual actress performing acts of BDSM, "bondage, discipline, sadism, masochism"] empowered her and taught her how to act because of all the men demanding back stories and kinks in the way they were paying to be treated.
The artist, actor, and fashion icon joins Q’s Tom Power (CBC Radio) to discuss her new memoir, Down the Drain
Julia Fox's memoir, Down the Drain, is a candid retelling of her journey with addiction, abuse, and fame. (March Mercanti/CBC)
I'm Italian, he's Jewish, we made it work.
Julia Fox shot to fame after starring alongside Adam Sandler in the 2019 crime thriller Uncut Gems. Now, with the release of her hotly anticipated memoir, Down the Drain, the 33-year-old artist, actor, and fashion designer has added writer to the list as well.
More simply, however, one could say Fox is a pop culture icon for being herself — even if she's often misunderstood.
Look, I'm just like everyone else but an attention wh...
Manipulative genius or vapid dumb ass?
"It's so funny because I always hear so many things about myself and it's either that I'm like this, you know, mastermind manipulative marketing genius, or I'm like this vapid dumb ass," Fox tells Q's Tom Power in an interview.
"So this is a way I can kind of, like, rewrite my own narrative or set the record straight, I guess, because I think a lot of people have preconceived notions.
I'm the hottest Italian in existence in Hollywood.
"They maybe see the makeup, they see the clothes, and they just don't get it. And so this is a way to just kind of maybe humanize me and show that there's much more than meets the eye, and hopefully people will be able to empathize a little bit more and not project their weird whatever it is onto me.…
"Celebrities really are just people — and I hate that term, celebrity. It feels so icky when people refer to me as a celebrity. I'm like, 'Eww, stop. Like, gross.'"
While Fox's debut performance in Uncut Gems with Adam Sandler was her breakthrough role, she truly got her big break when she was just 18.
She was scanning New York City Craigslist ads when she came across a job posting that said: "Dominatrix dungeon hiring *NO SEX* *no nudity* *no experience necessary." She applied and got the job.
Dated billionaire Kanye West for attention?
"It felt kind of like the beginning of the rest of my life," she says. "It just felt like a no-brainer because prior to that I worked in ice cream shops, shoe stores, pastry shops, I babysat, and it was minimum wage, $7 an hour. It was not sustainable at all….
"When I saw the ad, I just jumped…Like it really felt like I was on the helm of something really major that was going to change my life forever. And I can say that I wouldn't be here today if I didn't go down that road."
Beyond providing her with greater financial security, Fox says one of the positive things that came from working as a dominatrix was that it taught her how to play a character.
"You have five clients come in and, you know, one wants the mean popular girl at school to tease him and call him a loser. Then one wants a nun — I don't know why. One wants, like, a mean older sister, one wants a neglectful mommy, you know what I mean? …So I'd have to be like 10 people every day with a couple minutes notice. And it's all just improv. More
Happy spring, yogins! Feeling in perfect health and brimming with radiant energy? Everything is in bloom with outstanding wet and sunny spring weather. Get outside and enjoy the fresh air and brilliant colors.
Save the date for the "Yoga Sound Bath," Sunday, June 3rd, 11:00 am-1:00 pm: Deepen your yoga practice, learn how sound can transform the experience! ($25 preregistered, $30 at door). Do it by email me or follow me for periodic updates and inspirational messages at Fox Power Yoga.
Asana focus: "Eagle Pose" (garudasana) Stand in mountain pose (tadasana). Wrap the right arm under the left crossing at the forearms with the thumbs toward the face. Get hands in the prayer pose or, if not, interlace the fingers. Pull arms down so that fingers come below the nose. Bend the knees slightly, and wrap the right thigh as high as possible over the left thigh, wrapping the foot behind the calf so that all five toes show from the front. Close any gaps between the foot/ankle and the leg. Squeeze the arms and legs to open the joints of the arms, legs, toes, and fingers. Work the hips further down. Pull the scapulae down. Lift the chest. Pull wrists, elbows, knees, and standing ankle into a single line down the center. Pull the standing shin back, and press down the heel while lifting the arch of the foot.BENEFITS: Opens and stretches all of the major joints in the body, massages the reproductive organs, flushes lymphatic fluid in axillary and groin region, and is said to reduce cellulite in the thighs.
Join the cult, spend some money, watch the sex tape, quit in disgust over the fraud. See FULL UNCENSORED VERSION of Nithyananda and actress Ragasudha.
If their lawyers haven't thought of it yet, the Nithyananda cult can start claiming this was all an enlightening wake up call by the omniscient guru to start paying attention to his message. Why not? It might work. People have been more gullible than that. And after all Americans (even Indian-Americans) don't care about sexual indiscretions. Hypocrisy they will not be crazy about. Why not take the approach of Osho (BhagwanSriRajneesh) and actually advocate "sacred" sex? When you claim celibacy, or a vow of poverty, or some higher spiritual morality, you're setting yourself up if all that's underneath is hypocrisy.
The sex itself doesn't bother anyone. It sure doesn't bother (or surprise) the staff at WQ. No one was mad at Bill Clinton, Tiger Woods, or [name the sports figure of your choice] for the SEX. It was the lying, the lack of character, the deception. That's why people get mad. That's why devotees in India vandalize ashrams.
For the Nithyananda's website to imply that this didn't happen -- but is instead only a case of "graphics, conspiracy and rumors" -- puts the cult in a bad position. Here's the video. Anyone can see: It's clearly him. It's clearly sexual. And is that alcohol? What are those pills? Is this how the holy guru spends his off-time, laying around like a pillow prince, watching TV, and being hand fed?
ABOUT THE FOUNDER - ParamahamsaNithyananda, "a renowned spiritual master of the modern age," was born in the famous spiritual town of Thiruvannamalai in the Southern part of India, which has been home for several enlightened masters... Swamiji, as his disciples and devotees lovingly call him...
1. Buddhism. Any of a series of hand positions expressing an attitude or action of a meditator or deity.
ce·leb·ri·ty /səˈlɛbrɪti/ –noun
1. a famous or well-known person treated like a deity.
(Compiled by Upaya Dayaka; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly) Parents of Eminem (Marshal Mathers) fans can relax -- the rapper may actually be preaching a peaceful Eastern philosophy. In his new book, Buddha or Bust, Perry Garfinkel says the Buddha’s wisdom is cryptically encoded in Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.”
The line “You better lose yourself in the music, the moment” mirrors the Buddhist meditative practice of mindfulness (vipassana), in which the practitioner lives in the here and now. “By being present in the moment, he finds himself,” Garfinkel says. Still, he adds, “I highly doubt Eminem would know a boddhisatva from a bodacious babe.” (Source)
It's not like it was back in Helen Mirren's day. Arguably it's worse. But bright lights cast long shadows. And even stars look for a guiding light and sometimes turn to the Buddha, between their misadventures that is.
There's Eminem on the one hand, but the same might be said of other celebrities, whose pop music lyrics leave a lot of room for interpretation. Canadian Avril Lavigne resists labels. However, she is attempting to put up an iconoclastic front.
And Britney Spears' well known head shaving saga was well reported, as well as apocryphal rumors of a conversion to Buddhism and ascetic reform.
Where Britney goes, it's only a matter of time before a few select celebrities follow (even if she didn't really go there outside the rumor mill). Soon squeaky clean Justin Timberlake will resort to Signing vulgarities.
And his sometimes drunk, embittered ex, Cameron Diaz:
And even sweet, down home multi-millionaire Jessica Simpson...
and "Friends" star Courtney Cox (goody two-shoes Monica)...
Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger (RIP) may even go further from Sign language to English.
Lindsay Lohan just committed to another faith -- as she fends for her girlfriend, deals with a death in the family, and blogs about her father -- and Paris Hilton was a jailhouse pre-conversion (or toted the right books and guru to cultivate that impression).
So can Kim Kardashian be too far behind?
One supermodel celebrity, Uma Thurman, is not only a well known Buddhist, she has a great dad to ask questions of (Prof. Robert Thurman, noted scholar and personal friend of the current Dalai Lama).
Kate Moss in "yoga" pose as a blondebuddha.
But it's Buddhist Kate Moss who was recently idolized in the form of a $2.8 million, 110 lb. gold statue reminiscent of the Buddha himself.
Orlando Bloom displaying a refreshingly different mudra
Orlando Bloom practices Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism (according to the World Tribune, a newsletter supporting the practice of Nichiren Buddhism, which featured him on cover). While it was known that he was a Buddhist, few knew that he was a SGI.
Orlando visited president Ikeda in Japan and wrote a poem for him:
"With the sword of the Lotus Sutra at my side, With integrity as my staff, with you and all of the Buddhas of the ten directions as my mentor, With kosen-rufu as my goal, I will climb the mountainous path of the Mystic Law until I gaze out from the peak. There I will ready myself with gratitude for the next adventure. I look forward to climbing many mountains -- lifetime after lifetime at your side.
"Sincerely, your disciple and friend, Orlando."
Nichiren Buddhism and SokaGakai International (SGI), of course, advocate the chanting of the mantra "Nam myo ho rengekyo." SGI has a bigger star and long-time adherent in world famous singer Tina Turner. She is a remarkable chanter (even influencing the likes of Amy Winehouse), as she demonstrates for Larry King:
Megan Fox, rushing through airports to the set of Diablo Cody's ("Juno" fame) new movie, is rumored to be "searching for herself." Then again, who isn't?
Brad Pitt and budding Buddhist mom Angelina Jolie [whose extraordinary familial piety comes in the form of a Buddhist "prayer-of-protection" (paritta) is tattooed on her shoulder in Cambodia's ancient Khmer script] are keeping open minds for all their kids: They celebrate Christmas thanks to Zahara, but also took in a Buddhist Water Ceremony on account of Cambodian-born son Maddox.
As for Madonna, who just turned 50 as she embarked on a new world tour, finding a center by meditating and studying Kabbalah is keeping her together and out of scandals (for the most part).
When all is said and done, it seems Avril Lavigne best sums up the magic of celebrity-mudras.
See related article on "Why People Are Obsessed with Celebrities."
NOTE: WQ loves celebrities, just doing their job of distracting the world and all. It is, however, not fond of the celebritization by the media (e.g., Sarah Palin).
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