A Quaker-Buddhist Christmas, LA

Buddhists will perform the Om Mani Padme chant in the Talent Show unless the Dalai Lama does

WHAT HAPPENED?

More similarities than differences

People gathered in silence from all over Los Angeles, guitars in hand. At 10:00 there was group singing of traditional hymn from the hymnal book with old Quaker and Shaker songs, accompanied by piano and violin. Meanwhile, everyone was setting up the vegan potluck. "Service" convened, which means a silent meditation punctuated by anyone who wants to stand up and say something, moved by "spirit," as it occurs to them. An hour later, there are announcements, joys and sorrows, children coming in to talk about what they've been doing outside or in the schoolroom. Then the socializing started with a storm and a self-serve line of many delicious treats. An hour later, the Talent Show began at the mic: stand up comedy, singing, poetry, guitar, drums, Irish fiddlers, a ballet recital, kids doing the "peace train" accompanied by Cat Stevens' hit song, lots of laughs, fun, and creativity.

Silence, singing, eating, and being peace

The Orange Grove Friends Meeting (OGMM, ogmm.org, Orange Grove Monthly Meeting) is having a spectacular (and very liberal) Quaker Christmas Celebration for all its Atheist, Agnostic, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, (Anti-Zionist) Jewish, Muslim, Pantheist, Secular, and Sufi attendees. It's a vegan/vegetarian potluck with caroling (singing beautiful traditional seasonal songs from the hymn book), feasting, friendship, socializing, and a big TALENT SHOW. Sign up with Kindred. It's all FREE.

• Orange Grove Friends Meeting House
• Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, 12:00 pm (noon)
• VEGAN POTLUCK FEAST AND TALENT SHOW
• 520 E. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91104
• Silent service begins at 11:00 am (just enter and sit)
• RSVP (FREE):
• (Disclosure Project) A Buddhist Quaker Christmas Vegan Potluck Celebration, Pasadena (FREE), Sun, Dec 21, 2025, 11:00 AM | Meetup
• (PasaDharma) Buddhist Quaker Christmas Vegan Potluck, Pasadena (FREE), Sun, Dec 21, 2025, 11:00 AM | Meetup
• (Nature Center) A Buddhist Quaker Christmas Vegan Potluck Celebration, Pasadena (FREE), Sun, Dec 21, 2025, 11:00 AM | Meetup

Why? It's The Zen of Quakerism as described by Peter Taylor in Friends Journal.

Quakers and Buddhists have [more than] a few things in common. Most importantly, they share a common humanity and a commitment to creating peace in the world.

What to expect in Quaker meeting for 'worship' in silence

Pasadena + Santa Monica are unprogrammed meetings in peaceful silence

They are both enlightenment religions. Both [Founder] George Fox and the Buddha experienced a transformative, liberating awareness through the dedicated practice of quiet contemplation.

• Welcome to Quaker Buddhists! by John Marsh - Quaker Universalist Voice

The best tasting foods give peace to the world.

My life is an intersection of these religions. I was born a Quaker [referred to as a "Friend"], to Quaker parents with Quaker grandparents and great-grandparents. I attended Friends schools through college. I sat in many meetings for [silent] worship [waiting on the spirit to move me and fellow parishioners]. I have always been proud to be a Quaker.

I found Buddhism later in life, when I was 27 years old. I was looking for a tonic for depression. I found Buddhist philosophy and writing soothing to my condition. I liked that Buddhism talked about meditation as a remedy to suffering.

Friends: Buddhist-Quaker harmonic unity/nature

Even though I had been meditating [listening, sitting in receptive silence, being move by the presence of a Godly Great Spirit] all of my life in Quaker meetings, I had always struggled with how to do it.

As a child, meeting for worship [which for unprogrammed Quakers means no priest, preacher, pastor, or person in charge, just Friends sitting in silence punctuated by anyone who wants to stand up and speak as they are moved to do] was somewhere between difficult and excruciatingly painful.

Quakers get monkey mind?

[Monkey Mind:] To amuse myself, I would count things. I would count people with glasses. I would count ceiling tiles. I would count the seconds on my watch. I would welcome any spoken message that would break up the monotony of the silence. I would welcome the break of meeting so I could talk and run around again.

When I learned to meditate in the Buddhist style, I learned to keep my awareness focused by counting my breaths. I learned to hold my body still while I focused my mind [heart]. I found a specific place to put my hands.

In meditation, I was relieved of the burden of being moved by the Spirit to speak and say something spiritually profound.

Learning Buddhist meditation techniques taught me how to sit in Quaker meeting. Through all those years of Quaker upbringing and Quaker education, I had somehow missed that fundamental teaching.

Oh Gosh... Let's talk about a cool religion: What is Quakerism?

The enso or Zen zero of stillness

In my Zen Buddhist practice, I sat many hours of meditation. I did sitting meditation, walking meditation, chanting meditation, bowing meditation, eating meditation [mindfulness], tea-drinking meditation, and listening meditation. I went on a retreat to the Detroit Zen Center and did cooking meditation, cleaning meditation, weeding meditation, and hours and hours of sitting meditation.

• The Deep Spiritual and Practical Links Between Quakers and Buddhist Plum Village — Discovering Quakers

All that meditation was not necessarily peaceful or easy as I did it. What I found is that the rest of my days became more peaceful and easier to manage. The meditation worked. It created peace. More: The Zen of Quakerism

Peter Taylor explains his motivation for practicing Zen and Quakerism

• The Vegan Cake Bible: Bake, Build and Decorate Spectacular Cakes (Sara Kidd)
• VIDEO: The Wisdom of Silence: Life-Changing Lessons from Quaker, Buddhist & Sufi Traditions 🌿🧘‍♂️
• What's the difference between “programmed” and “unprogrammed” Quaker 'worship'?
• Vegan Winter Solstice Party & Candlelight Ritual for Animals, Sat, Dec 27, 2025, 6:00 PM | Meetup
• Kundalini Reiki class levels l,ll and lll, Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 12:00 PM | Meetup
• Vegan Winter Solstice Party & Candlelight Ritual for Animals, Sat, Dec 27, 2025, 6:00 PM | Meetup
• Adventures in Church: Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Jen B., CC Liu, Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, Sheldon S. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Milarepa: Climbing Mt. Kailash (Pt. 5)

 

100,000 Songs of Milarepa

Jetsun Milarepa (རྗེ་བཙུན་མི་ལ་རས་པ་) was a Tibetan siddha, who was famously known as a mass murderer when he was a young man before turning to Buddhism and allegedly becoming a highly accomplished Tibetan Buddhist (Bon-infused Vajrayana) disciple.

He is generally considered one of Tibet's most famous yogis and spiritual poets, whose teachings are known among several schools of Tibetan Buddhism. He was a student of Marpa Lotsawa and a major figure in the history of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism [1]. He is also famous for the feat of climbing Mount Kailash. More

• See Parts 1-4: Milarepa, the Great Yogi (Pt. 4)

It's no mountain but something paranormal with extradimensional/extraterrestrial beings.

Mt. Kailash in background and lakes Manasarovar (right) and Rakshastal in foreground

.

It's hollow with beings inside.

Mount Kailash (also Kailasa [a], Gang Tise [b], and Gang Rinpoche or Kangrinboqê [c]) is a mountain in Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It lies in the Gangdise Shan Mountain Range of the Trans-Himalaya, in the western part of the Tibetan Plateau. The peak of Mount Kailash is located at an elevation of 21,778 feet (6,638 m), near the western tri-junction between China, India, and Nepal. More

• Buddhist Wisdom, Sept. 23, 2025; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

Babymetal's new song 'My Queen' - KY?

• Babymetal (ft. Spiritbox) sing hymn to Queen  Kwan Yin?
• What in the world is Japan's "Baby Metal"?
• babymetal.com (Babymetal | Metal Forth | Official Website)
• Babymetal, "Gimme Chocolate"; Seth Auberon, CC Liu, Pfc. Sandoval (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

How Elvis Presley 'destroyed' his enemy

What is stronger, expressing anger and irritation or forgiving and showing forbearance?

Q: What is the best way to destroy an enemy? A: Make that person a friend.

• Most of us imagine that an "enemy" is someone we hate when, in fact, it more applies to anyone who hates us. Though they hate and attack, we need not give tit for tat. We can be like the sandalwood tree, which sprinkles perfume even on the axe that lays it low: Positive Response: How to Meet Evil with Good

The King as Fat Happy Budai

The act of metta ("lovingkindness") is what is best translated as "friendliness." Imagine the whole universe and every being in it as a friend on whom kindness is bestowed. There is no adversary. There are only friends and supporters. The Buddha said this is how some Gods (brahmas) abide, steeped in thoughts/feelings of boundless lovingkindness (agape, universal friendliness, unbounded love, and compassionate connection).

Who was the great entertainer Elvis Presley, the King of Rock 'n Roll, to commit such a public act of love and compassion? Would Johnny Cash, who had a great deal of love and acceptance of the most marginalized members of our society, approve? "Folsom Prison Blues" suggests he would.

• Elvis Presley: The Untold Legacy; Pfc. Sandoval, Ashley Wells, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Win trip to see BLACKPINK in Tokyo

"We're going to spice up your life"?

(Spice Girls) History does not repeat exactly, but it sure rhymes.

"Jump" (Blackpink song) released in July 2205

It might be more entertaining to see Babymetal at the Intuit Dome, LA

Get ready for the ultimate K-POP experience. 102.7 KIIS FM and China Airlines from Taiwan are sending one lucky winner and a guest on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Tokyo, Japan, to see BLACKPINK live in concert—all thanks to China Airlines, proudly from Taiwan since 1959.

(BLACKPINK) Killing it at Coachella 2023 with "Pretty Savage"

• The grand prize includes:
• Two roundtrip flights to Tokyo on China Airlines from one of the six China Airlines U.S. gateways
• $1,200 in cash to use toward hotel stay
• $1,000 in spending money for food, shopping, and unforgettable experiences
• Two tickets to see BLACKPINK live at the Tokyo Dome on January 16th, 2026

Depart from one of these U.S. gateways:

• Los Angeles, CA (LAX)
• Ontario, CA (ONT)
• San Francisco, CA (SFO)
• New York, NY (JFK)
• Seattle, WA (SEA)
• Phoenix, AZ (PHX)

From city lights to stage lights, experience Asia on beat and in tour with China Airlines—from the blinking lights of Bangkok to the circus of Seoul and ending with the mayhem and madness happening in Tokyo.

It’s also possible to stop in Indonesia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Singapore along the way—where every stop is part of the journey. Book now at China-Airlines.com. History’s calling. Are you boarding?

Must be U.S. resident and 18 years or older to enter. Total prize value is $6,800. Source: Win a Flyaway Trip to See BLACKPINK in Tokyo from KIIS-FM and China Airlines! | 102.7 KIIS-FM | 102.7 KIIS-FM

Who funds K-Pop?

Meet the mega-rich Korean overlord chaebols - Who comes up with teen fashion trends?

• Celebrate Disneyland's 70th (KROQ/Klein Ally Show)

Would you convert from Buddhist to Christian for fame and capitalism?

Wait. What happened to Blackpink?

• BLACKPINK Carpool Karaoke with Fatty McS*itty James Cordon; Babymetal "Gimme Chocolate"; BLACKPINK (summer 2025); Blinks, KIIS-FM (iheart.com); CC Liu, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Crystal Q., Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Gay Jews drop out of San Diego Pride '25

Kehlani speaks the truth and offends local Jews, claiming to be "afraid" for their safety when they are opposed to being labeled Israeli Genocide supporters, Jewish supremacists, or sympathizers who back Jewish Dictator Bibi Netanyahu. More

Trump sends corps back in closet, Troy on Pride sponsor demands | Daily Show

Who is Kehlani?

Kehlani, 2018, musician with conscience

Kehlani expressed solidarity with Palestine during Israel's genocidal ethnic cleansing of Gaza and war on Palestinian non-Jews.

In Instagram posts, they [Kehlani] voiced disapproval for celebrities who have chosen to remain silent on the matter, implying that they prioritize their personal business endeavors over addressing a pressing humanitarian crisis [88, 89].

They were a principal signer of the October 2023 open letter, Artists Against Apartheid [90, 91]. In November 2023, Kehlani signed an open letter calling for a ceasefire and an end to the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip [92]. On May 27, 2024, Kehlani voiced their criticism on Instagram, this time directed specifically at fellow musicians for remaining silent about the Israel's war on Gaza and Palestine [93].

They further demonstrated their support for Gaza in the “Next 2 U” music video, which opens up with a poem by a Palestinian-American writer and has a Palestinian flag in the background of the entire video [70].

In April 2025, Kehlani's scheduled performance at Cornell University's annual Slope Day was canceled by university president Michael Kotlikoff over their support for Palestine. Kotlikoff claimed that Kehlani had "espoused antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments in performances, videos, and on social media."

In response, they responded on Instagram saying, "I am not antisemitic, nor anti-Jew. I am anti-genocide, I am anti the actions of the Israeli government, I am anti an extermination of an entire people, I am anti the bombing of innocent children, men, women—that’s what I’m anti" [94].

In May 2025, another scheduled Kehlani concert in New York was canceled after pressure from New York City Mayor Eric Adams citing "security concerns" [but not admitting to any undue Jewish influence]. The free concert had been scheduled to take place on June 26 at SummerStage as part of Pride events taking place in the city... More

• CC Liu, Crystal Q. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Who hates Katy Perry? (Schadenfreude)

How Katy Perry DESTROYED HER CAREER | (a lifetime of bad choices)

(IQ) Let's explore the utter IMPLOSION of pop icon Katy Perry. Strap in, because we’re diving deep into the chaos, the controversies, and the career choices that turned a chart-topping firework into a cautionary tale.

• Chandler Juliet, May 23, 2025; IQ, April 25, 2025; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

Punk rock Vandals for Xmas? (12/21)

They won't actually vandalize things, will they?

It is strange how some days on the calendar have too much going on. We have to parties to choose from when we were expecting to enjoy the annual punk rock festivities at the Disneyland House of Blues. California life is tough. Not all SoCal punk bands held up, but the Vandals sure have. Their line of classic singalong songs are a strange juxtaposition to all the capitalist holiday fluff and fanfare. Outside the club, in Disney Town, there's endless shopping, eating, and baby-raising; meanwhile, inside, there will be a festive pit, moshing, jumping around, yelling and screaming the lyrics, and see what insane thing the bassist gets up to. Our personal favorite Vandals' song is "Urban Struggle" (aka "I Want to Be a Cowboy"). It's like, what's the use of Halloween if one can't let loose? Kwanchannukkmas is worse, tinsel for the masses, so this is a fun annual event to consider: The Vandals 29th Annual Christmas Formal | House of Blues Anaheim, OC

Dad rock: Limp Bizkit covers Ludacris' "M*ve B*tch," "Smells Like

Teen Spirit" live in the Netherlands where Fred Durst is persona grata

ALTERNATIVES: Of course, there's a yoga studio event for the Winter Solstice and Portal Dance in LA and a vegan potluck in the Valley and our big end-of-year yoga vegan potluck kirtan celebration. See Dharma Buddhist Meditation for details on other things to do.

• The Vandals 29th Annual Christmas Formal
• Saturday, December 21, 2024
• Doors open: 7:00 PM Price: $33.50
• Lineup: The Vandals, The Dickies, Jakobs Castle
• Info: General Admission Standing Room Only
• This is an all-ages event
• All acts and prices subject to change

House of Blues Anaheim at GardenWalk is Orange County's incredible home for live music. This expansive venue features four distinctive and exciting environments under one roof.  House of Blues Restaurant is open for dinner. The legendary Foundation Room features a beautiful lounge offering the ultimate star treatment and access to preferred ticketing benefits through the Foundation Room VIP Club membership program. The Parish showcases intimate artist performances and private events and the Music Hall features multiple... Voted Best Live Music Venue, Best Rock Club, and Best Night Club by OC Weekly's Reader's Choice, House of Blues Anaheim is OC's one-stop entertainment spot. Bring the whole family and join us for official pre-show fuel. Reservations are encouraged.

Giving Buddhist Gratitude (Lion's Roar)

"Grrr!" like a lioness roaring for American Buddhism

The Spiderman theme is such a catchy earworm to get stuck in your head that it's good to convert it into these season-appropriate lyrics:

How can you be so happy?

Gratitude, gratitude

Does whatever a spider could

Spins a web any size

Catches thanks just like flies

Look out, here comes some gratitude!

Is it strong? Listen, Bud:

It's got super-magnetic suds

Can it spring from a thread?

Take a look overhead

Hey there,

There goes that gratitude!

In the chill of night

At the scene of a crime

Like a streak of light

It arrives every time!

Gratitude, gratitude

Friendly neighborhood gratitude

As for fame, it's ignored

Action (karma) is

Its reward

To it

Life is a great big bang up

Wherever there's a hang up

You'll find some

GRATITUDE!

Fake Buddha quote gone good -- a wise teaching

Gratitude (Lion's Roar)

Gratitude is a crucial part of Buddhist spiritual practice, helping practitioners to live mindfully, compassionately, and peacefully, with a heart opening attitude of gratitude.

In Buddhist Pali terms, "gratitude" is kataññutā (or kataveditā), literally, “to have a sense of what was done [for us, for our benefit],” gratefulness.

It is more than just a feeling or a verbal expression of thanks. It is an important part of spiritual practice. Practicing gratitude can help us cultivate mindfulness, compassion, an awareness of the interconnectedness of all beings and things, and a peaceful, open-hearted attitude toward life and our fellows all around us.

Buddhism and gratitude are connected in a variety of ways, including:

• Appreciation for life [particularly our chance at this human life, which was brought about by our past karma, which had to have been good to produce this result and which was helped by others because there are just as many or more bad influences in the universe]

What a teacher can do for students, I have done.

Buddhism emphasizes the extreme preciousness — both the rarity and grand opportunity — of being reborn as a human being. Why? It is because this rebirth offers the potential for quick spiritual growth and enlightenment here and now. Buddhist practitioners incorporate gratitude into daily life, expressing thanks for, among other things, food, shelter, clothing, and the opportunity to cultivate wisdom (insight) and compassion (boundless loving kindness that seeks to alleviate the suffering of others).

• Appreciation for others

The contemporary American Theravada Buddhist teacher Ven. Thanissaro (Geoffrey DeGraff) notes that the Buddha pointed out that there are two kinds of people who are hard to find in the world, “The one who is first to do a kindness, and the one who is grateful and thankful for a kindness done.” This is the Buddha saying that because they are rare, we should be both kinds.

• The Lessons of Gratitude (Ven. Thanissaro)
• The Monastery of Open Doors (Soto Zen)

Mindfulness

Ever mindful, wakeful, present in this moment

Buddhism places a strong emphasis on being fully present in this moment with awareness and non-judgment. Practicing mindfulness helps us attune to the beauty and richness of each moment, the ever-present NOW, fostering a sense of gratitude for presence and, by extension, for life itself.

Impermanence

Contemplating radical impermanence — one of Buddhism’s “Three Marks of Existence” — can lead to a sense of gratitude for the opportunities and joys that arise and even for life’s unwelcome challenges.

• Two excellent Buddhist reminders of this are American Tibetan Buddhist nun Pema Chodron (Welcoming the Unwelcome: Wholehearted Living in a Brokenhearted World and the classic When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times) and British Thai Theravada Forest Tradition Buddhist monk Ajahn Brahm (Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?: Inspiring Stories for Welcoming Life's Difficulties about seeing opportunity in what we regard as the sh*tty or dunglike things that happen to us in life)

Letting go/Generosity

I'd never let go of my beautiful hair except for...

Generosity (non-clinging), a core Buddhist practice and the first of the Ten Perfections or paramis (and later Six Perfections or paramitas in Mahayana writings), involves giving without expectation of return. Engaging in giving cultivates a sense of gratitude for our ability to help and support others, and for what it means when someone does the same for us.

Loving-Kindness (Metta)

Making love at insightla.org with Trudy & Co.

Metta-bhavana, or universal "loving-kindness meditation" (cultivating agape) is a practice of sending thoughts of gratitude and goodwill to oneself and others -- building up to a universal expression covering ALL beings, even the ugly, mean, foul, enemy, antagonistic, bad ones (who often turn out, in the long run, to be great and precious teachers whether we realize it or not). When we experience the profound emotion of LOVE of this kind (boundless, infinite, unbiased, and unlimited), we feel deep gratitude for all life and all that this life gives us. More: Gratitude in Buddhism | Buddhism A–Z

• Gratitude (kataññu-katavedi) Abhayagiri Monastery
• Eckhart Tolle: gratitude, allow, radically accept
• Lion's Roar (lionsroar.com); edited and expanded by Dhr. Seven, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Ashley Wells, Wisdom Quarterly, Thanksgiving 2024

Kamala and Trump both on SNL (video)

• Kamala appears on 'SNL' on final episode before election
• Chappell Roan gets the job done debuting new lesbian country music song on Saturday Night Live (Will Republican fans love it as she jumps on the Beyonce Bandwagon?)

And by "we" we mean the whole of the nation. Thrust into fascism or duped into endless war under KD the go along? They're pulling out all the stops by inviting the candidate onto Saturday Night Live to stand next to Maya Rudolf who plays a more popular character called "Kamala Harris" than the self-proclaimed "Top Cop" and prosecuting attorney for the state. Is it fair? Sure, it's fair. Trump once went on a played a plumber in front of the whack character "Donald Trump" played by one of the cast. He was actually funny in a self-deprecating way, as if he clearly knows what he is (a big joke).

Biased John Coc' says Trump has insane post after Kamala’s SNL skit

Joke Trump on SNL with cast's comedy version

Opening monologue with bully and criminal billionaire New Yorker

Family Guy: "Republican Town"

(DJ Alexander) Brian Griffin, Rush Limbaugh, and Lois Griffin sing a song about a fictional heckhole  called "Republican Town" on Fox TV's hit comedy series Family Guy.

Vice President Kamala Harris to appear on Saturday Night Live (King5)

Russian-American back-channel Stewart Swerdlow (expansions.com) has us all on alert for the election and the disappointment we face. The system is doing all it can to install KD Harris. But DJ is the ultimate disruptor with future Pres. JD. Will the Trumpet's heart give out, or will he go to jail to get out of the way of war and our war economy? Isn't that what Ms. Cheney really wants? What's that ahead, Project 2025?

Trump, the peace candidate? (JimmyDore.com)

Genocide Joe wanted to be on, too, but he was

slobbering on kids so they got Dana Carvey

• Trump interviewed by religious lunatic, completely flops (David Pakman Show)
• Saturday Night Live, 2024 and 2015 (SNL); Seth MacFarlane, Family Guy (© Fox Television), 11/13/10; Seth Auberon, Pfc. Sandoval, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Malcolm X election advice (audio)

Ancient African manuscripts rescued from foreign [white] invaders

Black Liberation, Buddhism...

(African History Fountain) Oct. 19, 2024: In the heart of ancient Africa (Kemet), where knowledge flowed like the lifeblood of civilizations, priceless manuscripts lay hidden beneath the sands (in the first "university," Timbuktu, their secrets buried to escape the clutches of foreign invaders.

These texts, filled with centuries of wisdom, science, and spiritual insight, were not merely documents, but the guardians of a forgotten legacy.

Black lives will matter when all lives matter.

As invaders marched upon the lands, determined to erase the cultural heritage of a proud Black peoples, brave scholars risked everything to preserve these treasures.

Protected in underground vaults, smuggled away under the cover of darkness, these manuscripts survived against all odds, carrying with them the unbroken spirit of African intellect and resilience. #blackhistory #AfricanHistory #BlackHistoryMatters