Monkey men taught by celestial god being?

(Ancient Bloodline) [AI slop to fuel speculation:] Life 1.9 million years ago: ancient aliens teach prehistoric humans how to survive? It was not by violence but by farming, cooperation, and controlling base instincts.

Miracle survival in Texas floods (sutra)

Sleeping campers swept away in Texas Hill Country flash flood

• Guadalupe River (Texas): The river, and the larger area around it known as Texas Hill Country, is prone to flash flooding. Its nickname is Flash Flood Alley.

Sutra: Not Being Swept Away

Kappa-manava-puccha: Kappa's Question, based on Ven. Thanissaro's translation

Birds eye view of a safe refuge from the flood of stormy ocean, a tropical island (craiyon.com)

.

[Kappa asked the Buddha this question:]

For one stranded in the middle of the water,

in the flood of great danger called rebirth,

overwhelmed by aging and death,

Tell me, dear sir,

and show me the safe island

so that this may not happen again.

[The Buddha replied:]

For one stranded in the middle of the water

in the flood of great danger called rebirth,

overwhelmed by aging [rebirth] and death,

I will tell you the island, Kappa.

Having nothing,

clinging to no thing:

That is the island,

there is no other.

That refuge is nirvana, I declare,

the complete elimination of [rebirth] aging and death.

Those knowing this, mindful,

fully awakened

present here and now,

no longer bound as Mara's* slaves,

no longer come under Mara's influence.

• *Mara is the personification of Death, a literal being, an Asura (Titan) and high-born deva (being of light like Lucifer) in a Sensual Sphere heaven, often used figuratively to refer to four types of Mara.

(Jonathan Petramala) Kerrville: Terror on the Guadalupe River, Texas

SUTRA: Everything is swept away

Ratthapala Sutta (MN 82, PTS: M ii 54)

Maitreya Buddha arises as a Central Asian king

King Koravya sat down on a prepared seat. Sitting there, he said to [the Buddhist monk] Ven. Ratthapala, "There are situations where, having suffered the four kinds of loss, people shave off their hair, don saffron robes, and go forth from home life into the left-home life [of a monastic].

"What are the four? There is loss as a result of aging, loss as a result of sickness, loss of wealth, and loss of relatives...

"However, Ven. Ratthapala has suffered none of these. So what did he know, see, or hear that he was motivated to go forth from the home life into the left-home life?"

"Great king, there are four summaries of the Dhamma (the Teaching) stated by the Blessed One [the Buddha] who directly knows and sees, the Worthy One, who rightly awakened. Having known and seen and heard them, I set forth from the home life into the left-home life. What are these four?

1. "'The world [8] is swept away and does not endure' -- this is the first summary of the Dhamma...
2. "'The world is without shelter (permanent refuge) and without protector' -- this is the second...
3. "'The world is [utterly impersonal] without owner. One has to pass on, leaving everything behind' -- this is the third...
4. "'The world is insufficient, insatiable, a slave to craving' -- this is the fourth...

"These, great king, are the four summaries of the Dhamma stated by the Blessed One who directly knows and sees, the Worthy One, rightly awakened. Having known and seen and heard them, I set forth from the home life into the left-home life."

Sometimes the flash flood comes in the night.

"Ven. Ratthapala, you say, 'The world is swept away and does not endure.' How is the meaning of this statement to be understood?"

"Let me ask what you think, great king. When you were 20 or 25 years old — an expert elephant rider, expert horseman, expert charioteer, expert archer, expert swordsman — were you strong in arm and thigh, fit and seasoned for warfare?"

"Yes, Ven. Ratthapala... I was strong... It was as if I had supernormal power. I do not see anyone who was my equal in strength."

Guadalupe River (Texas) Wikipedia map

"What do you think, great king? Are you now as strong...?"

"Not at all, Ven. Ratthapala. Now I am a feeble old man, aged, advanced in years, having come to the last stage of life, 80 years old. Thinking, 'I will place my foot here,' I place it somewhere else."

"Referring to this, great king, the Blessed One who knows and sees, the Worthy One rightly awakened, said, 'The world is swept away and does not endure.'

"Having known and seen and heard this, I set forth from the home life into the left-home life."

"It is amazing, Ven. Ratthapala, it is astounding how well that has been said by the Blessed One who knows and sees, the Worthy One rightly awakened! 'The world is swept away and does not endure.' For the world really is swept away, Ven. Ratthapala, and does not endure. More

Dvejana Sutta: Two People (1)

Ven. Thanissaro (trans) edited by Dhr. Seven for Wisdom Quarterly

On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near the City of Savatthi in Jeta's Grove inside the multimillionaire's monastery.

Two Brahmins — feeble old men, aged, far advanced in years, having come to the last stage of life, 120 years old — went to the Blessed One, exchanged courteous greetings, sat respectfully to one side, and said:

"Master Gotama, we are Brahmins — feeble old men, aged, far advanced in years, having come to the last stage of life, 120 years old. We have done no wholesome deeds [accrued no merit, no profitable karma], no skillful deeds, no deeds that allay our fears. Teach us, Master Gotama, instruct us, Master Gotama, for our benefit and lasting happiness."

We're old kings. Right, Dad? - Shu up, Boy.

"Indeed, Brahmins, feeble old men, aged, far advanced in years, having come to the last stage of life, 120 years old, you have [accrued no merit because you have] done no wholesome deeds, no skillful deeds, no deeds that allay your fears. This world is swept away by aging, illness, and death.

"With the world [flooded and] swept away by aging, illness, and death, any restraint of body, speech, and mind practiced here will be one's shelter, safety, island, and refuge after death in the world beyond."

It is swept along, this life, with its next-to-nothing span.

For one swept on by aging, no shelters exist.

Keeping in sight this danger in death, do meritorious deeds that ripen in bliss.

Whoever here is restrained in body, speech, and mind, who makes merit while alive, that will be for future bliss after passing from here.

• CBS 5 News San Antonio; Jonathan Petramala; Ven. Thanissaro (accesstoinsight.org); Pfc. Sandoval, Dhr. Seven (sutra translation), Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Dead bodies everywhere, one survivor

British national survives Air India plane crash, condition unknown

New CCTV footage shows Air India crash as British survivor shares shocking escape story

(ABC News) June 12, 2025: The Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, India, confirmed to ABC News that Ramesh Vishwaskumar, one passenger [in seat 11A] on the downed Air India flight, is alive and hospitalized there.

• Air India Flight 171 (Boeing 787)
• BREAKING: Air India plane crashes after takeoff with hundreds on board

Korn "Dead Bodies Everywhere"

• (ABC News) British national survives Air India plane crash, condition unknown; Seth Auberon, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

I do whatever I want: The Surfing Nomad

"Not all those who wander are lost"

A wandering ascetic (śramaṇa, shramana, shaman) [a] is a person "who labors, toils, or exerts [him or herself] for some higher or religious purpose" [1, 2], a "seeker, or ascetic, one who performs acts of austerity" (tapas) [3, 4, 5, 6].

The śramaṇa tradition includes primarily [the contemporary proto-Indian schools of] Jainism [7], Buddhism [8], and others such as the Ājīvika [9, 10].

The śramaṇa [Dharmic] religions became popular in the circles of wandering mendicant, contemplative, truth seekers after a direct (unmediated by priests) experience of the divine or of the ultimate truth of reality from greater Magadha (where the Buddha chose to live) that led to the development of spiritual practices [11] as well as the popular concepts in all major Indian religions such as saṃsāra (the Cycle of Rebirth and Death) and moksha (liberation from that cycle) [12, Note 1].

The Śramaṇic traditions have a diverse range of doctrines (beliefs) and practices, ranging from accepting or denying the concept of an eternal soul, fatalism to free will, idealization of extreme asceticism to that of family life, renunciation, strict ahimsa (non-violence, harmlessness, kind caring), and veganism/vegetarianism to permissibility of violence and flesh-eating [13, 14].

The Pali (the exclusively Buddhist language) word samaṇa has been suggested as the ultimate origin of the word Evenki сама̄н (samān) "shaman," possibly via Middle Chinese or Tocharian B; however, the etymology of this word, which is also found in other Tungusic languages, is controversial (see Shamanism § Etymology). More

• The 25 most romantic destinations around the world
• Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven, Pfc. Sandoval (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit sramana

Will Trump survive 5/27? (The Simpsons)

Can The Simpsons really predict the future? No. When has it ever? Yeah, well, except for those times, but that was pure coincidence, luck of the draw, and anyone could have seen those things coming. Why should this be any different? The King is well-fed; long live the King!

Myanmar Earthquake: destruction, deaths

Magnitude 7.7 earthquake hits Myanmar, Thailand, China 2025 COMPILATION (Part 3)

(Saskia & Mauri) Terrifying experience: We survived Thailand's strongest quake in Bangkok!

Earthquake in Myanmar (Burma) with massive destruction in Thailand, China, people trapped

Where is the fallen Lady Aung San Suu Kyi?

(CINEIST) March 31, 2025: This video details the devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar (Burma) in 2025. It caused significant loss of life and property. The impact of the disaster, the challenges faced by the affected regions, and the ongoing relief efforts are examined.

Corruption, bribes? Only building to collapse was built by China

Apocalypse? Hundreds of millions disappear in China, abandoned villages

What has become of Burmese Pa Auk Sayadaw?

Additionally, insight is provided into the long-term effects on the local population and the role of international aid in the recovery process. The goal is to raise awareness about the struggles of the Buddhist people in Burma and encourage support through this video.

For support and donations and information on how to contribute to the relief efforts, please refer to local and international aid organizations.

Shocking footage: Myanmar-Thailand-China 7.7 earthquake

(Seismic Kiwi) Magnitude 7.7 quake in Myanmar, Thailand, China (Part 1)

Watch this video to learn more about the Myanmar earthquake and help spread awareness about the challenges faced by those in disaster-stricken areas.

• Pa-Auk Society – International Pa-Auk Tawya Society (IPTS)
• An American monk living in Burma (Ven. Subhuti)

#MyanmarEarthquake #Myanmar2025 #Earthquake #NaturalDisaster #DevastatingEarthquake #DisasterRelief #Aid #Awareness #MyanmarAid #EarthquakeRelief #DisasterArea #NaturalDisasterAid #MyanmarAwareness #RescueOperations #DisasterSurvivorAid #EarthquakeSupport

Katya grows up: northern nomad kid

(Patrushevs) This is Part 2. How is it northern nomads are self-sufficient in extreme cold, whereas we in the West can hardly stand an overcast day? This is a day in the life of a reindeer-herding family's life as baby Katya grows more and more independent and helpful around the home. The family migrates from place to place in search of the best pasture for its domesticated but wild-looking reindeer herd. Could these be Siberian Eurasian Chukchi (Chukchee people) from Russia from the Bering Sea region in easternmost Siberia (next to westernmost America)? The Chukchi are thought to be the forebears of the Indigenous tribes (called First Nations people in Canada) throughout the Americas.

• According to several studies on genomic research conducted from 2014 to 2018, the Chukchi are the closest Asian relatives of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas as well as of the Ainu people, being the descendants of settlers who neither crossed the Bering Strait nor settled the Japanese archipelago.
• VIDEO: Part 1: How nomads raise white children
• VIDEO: Native American origins: Japan or Siberia?
• Documentary via Patrushevs, Jan. 18, 2025; Dhr. Seven, CC Liu, Amber Larson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Soldier karma: life with NO brain

Psychology of brain damage: shattered

How can we live in a world that makes no sense at all? How could we exist when every second of our lives is an unsolvable puzzle, and the tiny bits we do manage to recognize can’t come out?

That was the life of Russian soldier Lev Zasetsky (1920–1993), a young man who suffered a brain injury fighting in another useless war.

That was the life of Lev Zasetsky, who suffered a severe brain injury when thrown into World War II.

The 3,000-page diary he wrote following his injury became one of the most valuable and insightful texts on the study of the human brain in the history of biological science (popsci.com).

Zasetsky suffered from aphasia, a disorder or dysphasia that impairs a person’s ability to communicate or understand communication.

• When Monkey Mind (thinking) stopped
• Case of survival: Lev Zasetsky | Mind Matters
• VIDEO: What if brain stopped working for 5 seconds?

Patient Lev Zasetsky and Dr. Alex Luria

Zasetsky’s form of aphasia resulted in him being able to write without being able to read his own writing or understand all of what he had written.

Russian Dr. Alexander Luria, one of the Soviet Union’s most accomplished neuropsychologists, was assigned to care for Zasetsky and found that the young soldier “simply could not write and…had suddenly become illiterate.”

Dr. Luria pinpointed Zasetsky’s injury to “the second major block of the brain located in the posterior sections of the large hemispheres.”

This portion of the brain’s job is “for receiving, processing, and retaining information a person derives from the external world.”

The precise location of his shrapnel injury meant that “a very important function [had] been seriously impaired: he [could] not immediately combine his impressions into a coherent whole; his world [became] fragmented.”

That’s how the world existed for Lev Zasetsky: fragmented. But he didn’t give up. His fascinating story and undaunted attitude can inspire and reframe our modern understanding of psychology, history, language, communication, showing what the human spirit can accomplish.

• From "He was the man who lived with no brain" (sort of), Popular Science, for more original Popular Science videos, subscribe on YouTube

SUTRA: Want to be a soldier? You might want to reconsider

The headman (gamini) was wise to ask the Buddha to clarify and dispel doubts (Yodhājīva Sutta)

 

The village headman Yodhajiva went to the Buddha, bowed, sat respectfully to one side, and said: "Venerable sir, I have heard it passed down through the ancient teaching lineage of warriors that:

• 'When a warrior strives and exerts in battle, if others strike one down and slay one while striving and exerting in battle then, with the breakup of the body after death, one is reborn in the company of angels (devas) slain in battle.'

"What does the Blessed One say about that?"

"Enough, headman, set that question aside and do not ask it." But a second time and third time the headman Yodhajiva asked it.

"Headman, I seem to be unable to get past by saying, 'Enough, headman, set that question aside and do not ask it,' so to reply simply: When a warrior strives and exerts in battle, one's mind is already seized, debased, and misdirected by the thought, 'May those beings be struck down, slaughtered, destroyed, annihilated, and no longer exist.'

"If others then strike one down or slay one while one is striving and exerting in battle, then with the breakup of the body after death, one is reborn in a hell called the Realm of those Slain in Battle.

Oh no, what will come of ignorance and killing?

"Moreover, if one holds a view such as, 'When a warrior strives and exerts in battle, if others then strike one down or slay one while one is striving and exerting in battle, then with the breakup of the body after death, one is reborn in the company of angels slain in battle,' that is his wrong view.

"There are, I say, two destinations for a person with wrong view, either hell or the animal womb" [rebirth in one of the many hells or the super-diversified animal plane].

When this was said, the headman Yodhajiva began to sob and burst into tears.

"Headman, that is what I was unable to get by you by asking you to set that question aside and not ask it."

"But, venerable sir, I am not crying because of what the Blessed One said but rather because I have been deceived, cheated, and fooled for a long time by that ancient teaching lineage of warriors who said that" (SN 42.3).

Man creates paradise; war breaks out (Far Side)

RJ Garcia, AntsCanada, Jan. 14, 2024; Gary Larson, The Far Side (comics); Family Guy video still; Pfc. Sandoval, Dhr. Seven, and Kelly Ani (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

The apocalypse came and went for a new beginning.

When creating a new ecosystem, add all of the elements or step out of the way and let Nature do it because, when upset, things can go very bad, but Mother Nature knows how to get back to yin-yang homeostasis (Gary Larson/The Far Side).

An Ant War broke out after introducing water beasts into giant rainforest vivarium

One ant's hell is another's heaven.

(AntsCanada) In a giant cloud rainforest vivarium, called "Pantdora," an unexpected revival of an ant war broke out.

The trouble came after adding a team of aquatic creatures to the pond, which upset the current ecosystem.

To fix one problem, another was unexpectedly created.

What were the "sky gods" thinking?

The Creator [the god of this world, Lord RJ Garcia] was shocked to discover the truth about relations between three existing ant colonies within the vivarium; he watched an intense showdown of ants take place.

It opened his eyes to the chilling realities of invasive vs. native animal wars that occur in all ecosystems as organism compete for limited albeit recyclable resources and space.

I don't know. Gas entered the environment then blew up.

For God so loved the world that He gassed it.

Enjoy Part 8 of this Ecosystem Vivarium Series [with added color, commentary, and cartoons from Gary Larson and Wisdom Quarterly]. RJ: "Ant love forever!"

This video was shot in 4K Ultra HD resolution. Join the Great AC SENATE to get access to new perks/voting powers on this channel: @antscanada. Click to subscribe: goo.gl/tlCQJZ Directed, written, DOP, and edited by AntsCanada. Executive Producer: RJ Garcia.

Indian miners rescued from collapse (video)

Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Rescuers break through to trapped India miners in Uttarakhand | BBC News

(BBC News) Nov. 28, 2023: Rescuers in India say they have broken through to 41 workers who have been trapped in a tunnel in the Indian state of Uttarakhand since November 12, 2023. The miners became stuck after a landslide nearby brought down a mountain of debris, trapping them. They are expected to be [and have now been successfully] extracted one by one via a 90cm diameter pipe inserted through the rubble of the collapsed tunnel. #India #Uttarakhand #BBCNews. BBC is a British public broadcast service.

How ‘rat miners’ rescued India tunnel workers

(South China Morning Post) Nov. 28, 2023:  Indian rescuers pulled out all 41 workers trapped inside a collapsed tunnel in the Indian Himalayas with some help from a group of people who do so-called "rathole mining," which is effectively banned in the country. Authorities tapped the “rat miners” for help when heavy machinery broke down during a rescue operation that had dragged on for more than two weeks. For more on this: sc.mp/ltfe. Subscribe to YouTube channel for free here: sc.mp/subscribe-youtube #scmp #Asia #India

Incredible rescue: Aussie hero saves 41 miners trapped in India tunnel

(7NEWS Australia) Nov. 28, 2023: There have been jubilant scenes after 41 workers trapped in a tunnel in India for 17 days have finally been brought to the surface and to safety. The drawn-out rescue mission gripping viewers around the world was guided by a heroic Melbourne rescuer. Watch the full interview with Arnold Dix. Key Chapters in this video: 00:00 Miners Trapped for 17 days 01:51 Joined by Arnold Dix live.

For the latest Australian news and breaking news alerts, connect with 7NEWS online: Visit: 7news.com.au #breakingnews Subscribe and set 🔔 7news.link/YTSubscribe

Laughing While Black: Joking to Survive

Seth MacFarlane, Family Guy; Sam Riddell, WHYY Oct. 30, 2020; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

WARNING: May be offensive to some, but search for many reaction videos, showing insider laughter

‘Nothing’s wrong if it’s funny’: Black comedy taps a longstanding coping tool

Sarcasm, trading insults, in-jokes continue a tradition that began when the first enslaved Africans were forcibly brought here to work against their will in 1619, two years before the first alleged Thanksgiving.

• [It is more likely Blacks were here, part of the Indigenous people on the mainland and surrounding islands, not brought en masse in an Atlantic slave trade but worse -- lied to about their alien and outsider status, dispossessed of African roots and denied knowledge of their American roots.]

Many Black Americans believe they can laugh at anything. Rod and Karen Morrow, of “The Black Guy Who Tips” podcast, stand by this statement.

They’re a comedic duo and married couple, and their show’s motto is, “Nothing’s wrong if it’s funny.” 

“If you’ve been around enough Black people, you’d know they joke when people die, they joke when babies are born, they joke at funerals … And a lot of these things are very sensitive topics, but we just have found a way to take our pain and make it humorous,” Karen Morrow said.

The Morrows carry this tradition of Black humor into their podcast, joking about everything from coronavirus to police brutality.

“Someone being harassed by the police is sad. But if we also decide that the absurdity of racism and the irony is funny, then it is also funny. And our show is a lot of that,” Rod Morrow said.

Finding humor in fraught topics isn’t anything new for Black Americans. It’s a method of coping that stems back to 1619, when the first enslaved Africans were brought to U.S. shores.

Corliss Outley is a professor at Clemson University and co-author of the 2020 paper, “Laughing While Black: Resistance, Coping and the Use of Humor as a Pandemic Pastime among Blacks.” More

• Karen Morrow of The Black Guy Who Tips podcast. (Image courtesy of Karen and Rod Morrow)

How to survive grief: World's saddest song

Surviving Grief; Jack Brewer (Saccharine Trust); Pfc. Sandoval, A. Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

"Surviving Grief" (survivinggtrief.org) is a project of love created in the heart of the pandemic.

Once social isolation forced grief communities apart, we migrated to the digital world to keep sane.

The goal of Surviving Grief is to provide a one-stop-shop for grief resources, instead of searching the Web endlessly looking for grief books or organizations that apply for specific forms of grief.

Take a look around, stay a while, and please contact to add any resources options: Find resources HERE

The depths of human misery

Vocalist and lyricist Jack Brewer/Saccharine Trust "A Human Certainty" (STP Records)

Sal tree dryad (Ranganathaswamy Temple)

LYRICS: "A Human Certainty" (Saccharine Trust) "Don't come in here/ You'll see something ugly/ It's not the kind of thing/ You'd expect from a body/ Don't come in here/ Don't see me this way/ With my knees on rice/ And a prayer for the prey/ My face is heavy/ My mind is clenched/ My eyes are disgusted/ My hands are hot/ My walls are green/ My walls are red/ I only cry wolf/ When all my sheep are dead/ Oh they died/ Oh they're dead/ As dead can be/ Don't come in here I beg of you/ Yes there's love in my heart/ But there's hatred in my thoughts/ Don't believe in me/ Or anything that speaks/ Cause you won't be deceived/ By a human certainty/ My face is heavy/ My mind is clenched/ My eyes are disgusted/ My hands are hot/ My floors are green/ My floors are red/ I only cry wolf/ When all my sheep are dead/ Oh they died/ Oh they're dead/ As dead can be/ Human certainty/ Human certainty/ Human certainty/ Aaarrrgh, aaarrrgh/ I'm okay now/ I'm okay now/ Oh/ Last night I had a dream about you/ And in my dream you were only asleep/ I sat in a chair and watched you/ As you laid there so beautifully/ The still of the night made me lonely/ I wanted to touch you/ I wanted to feel you/ I wanted things to be just like they used to be/ Except I'd keep all my promises/ And then I felt so ashamed/ I was so ashamed/ Until I realized/ We're all guilty of that dream/ And forever I wished you a beautiful sleep."

Who is "Buddha Boy"? (video)

George Saunders, The Incredible Buddha Boy (GQ, May 2006); Discovery Channel; Zaron Burnett III (Mel Magazine, Feb. 2019); Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

How it all began: Buddha Boy under a giant pipal tree in Nepal (Gopal Chitrakar/Reuters)

The year is 2005 when National Book Award-winning author George Saunders travels to Kathmandu, Nepal to meet “Buddha Boy,” as the Western press had dubbed him, born Ram Bahadur Bomjon.

Saunders treks deep into the jungle far from the Himalayan range in the north of this tiny country on an adventure for GQ magazine. He reports back that he feels he’s experienced a miracle, a divine presence. He published his account in GQ:

We reach the inner fence: as far as anyone is allowed to go. At this distance, I can really see him. His quality of nonmotion is startling. His head doesn’t move. His arms, hands, don’t move. Nothing moves. His chest does not constrict/expand with breathing. He could be dead. He could be carved from the same wood as the tree.

He is thinner than in the photos; that is, his one exposed arm is thinner. Thinner but not emaciated. He still has good muscle tone. Dust is on everything. His dusty hair has grown past the tip of his nose. His hair is like a helmet. He wears a sleeveless brown garment.

His hands are in one of the mudras in which the Buddha’s hands are traditionally depicted. He is absolutely beautiful: beautiful as the central part of this crèche-like, timeless vignette, beautiful in his devotion.

I feel a stab of something for him. Allegiance? Pity? Urge-to-Protect? My heart rate is going through the roof.

Buddha Boy after months (Riedel Jeff/GQ)

Later, George Saunders added:

Soon I’m sitting canoe-style between Lama One and Lama Two. I can hear Lama One mumbling mantras under his breath. Suddenly he turns to me, again makes the gesture, points into the Enclosure.

I get it now: The gesture means, “Look, there is something emanating from the boy’s forehead!”

Do I see it? Actually, I do: Vivid red and blue lights (like flares) are hovering, drifting up from approximately where the boy is sitting, as if borne upward on an impossibly light updraft.

“What the heck,” I think. My face goes hot. Is this what a miracle looks like, feels like, in real time?

I close my eyes, open them. The lights are still drifting up.

A noise begins, a steady drum-like thumping from inside the Enclosure, like an impossibly loud heartbeat.

For several concept-free seconds, it’s just: colored up-floating lights and the boy’s amplified heartbeat.

DOCUMENTARY

There is a Discovery Channel documentary, The Boy With Divine Powers, filmed roughly at the time Saunders visited.

It discusses the doctors and medical professionals who had come to confirm whether this teen boy really had subsisted -- as a breatharian without food, water, or sleep -- under a tree for 10 months.

• Read George Saunders' whole account in GQ
• Zaron Burnett III's looks into it for Mel Magazine
• What Buddha Boy wants to tell humanity (2017)
• Where's Buddha Boy today? (maitriya.info/en)