Showing posts with label vegetarian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegetarian. Show all posts

Saturday, August 8, 2026

Ekaterina Sky's Sunrise; planting trees


What can one person do save world?
This painting holds one of my favorite lines from the prayer beneath the collection: "Help us restore what has been harmed and create a future of harmony and respect."

I painted it as a sunrise, a center of gold opening into rays of red and orange, the first light after a long, dark night.

I wanted to make something in color that remembered that the morning still comes no matter how hard the dark period.
How will we save the planet? Forests!
The Sacred Process of Prayer For The Earth painting creation — Ekaterina Sky on Cohart
Life Force Trees | 165 trees per person (ourlifeforce.org)
The best way to see a sunrise is through an old growth forest of vibrant trees
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What we compose shows, so do it with care
The original is now ready to find its home. Inquire on Cohart. People sometimes ask how long a painting like this takes me to compose. The painting itself is a matter of days, but the more complete answer is that it takes much longer. This is because the gold comes in layers that each needs its own time and cannot be hurried.

Gold teaches me patience. It will lift, crack, or refuse if it is rushed. So I stopped counting in days and started counting in layers.

I want to save our world's forests!
A future is built the same way: not in one grand gesture, but in patient layers, small daily choices and acts, the things we plant (sow) and tend (cultivate) and refuse to give up on. What we care for grows. What we show up for shows. Everyone can see what shows from our care in its composition.

As of today, "A Future of Harmony and Respect" is available to view on Cohart, to acquire by inquiry. If someone is standing at the start of something, this is a sunrise for that wall. It is a one-of-a-kind, watercolor with 24 karat sustainable gold leaf, with a prayer sealed inside that can be accessed through a chip that allows it to be heard aloud. And it arrives with a certificate of authenticity and earth conscious packaging.

See the sunrise to inquire about bringing it home at: A Future of Harmony and Respect on Cohart.
  • And I would love to hear: What part of the living world do you most want to see restored?
  • (Maybe it's forests, human communities, vegan kitchens, wild grasslands, fish oceans, bird skies, tunnel systems, space belts full of debris... Tell us in the comment section below)
With love,

Ekaterina Sky

P.S. Feeling moved beyond wall art and mural painting? PLANT TREES through a new movement at ourlifeforce.org. Also, see my art on Instagram: @ekaterina.sky.art
City Plants is a program funded by the LADWP, which is exploring opportunities to expand offerings beyond the City of Los Angeles and into surrounding communities. Send request

Make a Difference with City Plants

City is getting hotter. We can be part of the solution. Donations plant shade trees that combat climate change, cool neighborhoods, and improve health. Help grow a cooler, greener LA.

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Friday, May 15, 2026

Free: Altadena Spring Fest, Muir HS (5/15)


All of Southern California is invited
FREE. Open to the public. Twice a year, Rhythms of the Village and Oh Happy Day Vegan Cafe sponsor a giant community festival of live music, healing arts, crafts, Aztec dancers, entertainers, and good old fashioned fun. Post Eaton Fire, it is now held on the much larger Muir High School campus on Lincoln Ave. It has grown exponentially. Come try vegan and other food trucks, free spiritual healing modalities, and see Baba Onochie and Ameca plus Vegan John. Keeping the community alive!


2b.alwaysloved's profile picture(2b.alwaysloved, May 5, 2026)  Indigenous, aboriginal, copper-colored people of Turtle Island who are called "American" Indians are misclassified as "African" American Blacks.

Health and wellness at Spring Fest
They are actually the original inhabitants of the Americas and the Caribbean who built civilizations here long before Eurasians, Africans, and Europeans came to Turtle Island. They had kings and queens. Native Americans of Eurasian [Siberian, etc.] descent are not indigenous to the Americas or the Caribbean but rather are descendants of slaves from China, Japan, the Philippines, India, Southwest Asia, who arrived on Spanish and Portuguese Manila Galleons. They also came from Europe, including the UK, and married the indigenous American Indians misclassified as African American Blacks, who were taught in church schools how to be Indians and signed on Indian Rolls for $5 to take over the lands and identity of the indigenous American Indians misclassified as African American Blacks.

References: 1828 Webster's dictionary and the New Oxford American English Dictionary definition of "American." The Library of Congress. The U.S. Census records (Rev 7:9,10). (Posted on Instagram, edited for clarity by Wisdom Quarterly).
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Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Earth Days in Los Angeles, April 2026


ALTADENA'S EARTH DAY 2026
Today is Earth Day, so how shall we honor our Mother [Earth]? We can start by calling her Bhumi, Tierra, or Gaia. Then it might help to honor the Goddess as giving so much to us, our very bodies. Sure there's a karmic reason and an invisible alignment/arrangement of particles that make these amazing vehicles we're powering, but it is earth (base materiality) as the "what" these bodies are or appear to be. Is there "spirit" (prana)? Yes! That wind-like thing, the ephemeral airs as explained in Yogic philosophy and detailed in a collection of sacred Buddhist texts referred to as the "Higher Doctrine" (Abhidhamma or the "Dharma in Ultimate Terms"), can be called a "spirit" (pneuma). That's what "holy spirit" in Abrahamic religions seems to be getting at.

We have hardware and software as modern analogies, but in the past the seers had dense mud and invisible air to make the same comparison of the yang (hard) and yin (soft) that is this "self." Self is a persistent illusion, hard to grasp and understand, but the Buddha went to great pains to explain it in two doctrines, one being the Five Aggregates and the other being (in response to the common question, "Well, what is there then?!") Dependent Origination. If one understood the latter, the question of "what is there?" would not confuse the asker to assume there has to be something solid and "real." In the Allegory of the Cave by Plato, there's "something" (shadows), but that doesn't make them real, that is, that doesn't make them what they appear to be.

So this body, this earth, made of soil and the Four Great Elements (mahabhuta, the dhatus, which strangely are not "things" even though they sound like the most fundamental things but rather are qualities/characteristics of materiality, and that material can be reduced to something translated by Ven. Dhammadipa as "particles of perception" or what the historical Buddha called kalapas).

So thank you, Mother! "Where to next, Columbus?" Crass sings. Why? Westerners are imperial menaces in the world...

What is Earth Day?
Pat and Dick and a tree named "Piney" at WH
Earth Day is an annual event on April 22nd to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated across the planet through earthday.org (formerly Earth Day Network) [1], including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries [1, 2, 3].

In 1969 at a UNESCO conference in San Francisco, the peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to first be observed on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere.

This day of Nature's equipoise was later sanctioned in a proclamation written by him and signed by [Burmese Theravada Buddhist] Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations.

A month later, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed the idea to hold a nationwide environmental teach-in on April 22, 1970, and hired a young activist, Denis Hayes, to be the national coordinator.

The name "Earth Day" was coined by the advertising writer Julian Koenig [4]. Activist Hayes and his staff grew the event beyond the original idea for a teach-in to include the entire United States. More
Why keep it to a day? Pasadena leads the charge to make it last a whole month.
The Solvang Ranch (280 Crosby St., Altadena, California) is a historic 3,100 square foot craftsman courtyard house built in 1915. Situated on nearly an acre, it has been meticulously restored by owners Rob Bruce and Greg Gill and is known for hosting community events, such as the Soul Force Project's Earth Day Celebration. More
Earth Day Pasadena
Playful goats/kids do yoga
Earth Day Celebration in Pasadena, Los Angeles? These are the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley, one of the most Buddhist places in the United States. Join us and the City of Pasadena as we celebrate Earth Day and the official release of the goats into the Arroyo ("gully," "wash," dry riverbed). This family-friendly event includes goat yoga, a goat petting zoo, educational experiences, and interactive booths from local sustainability organizations. Let's celebrate and find our Flow. How? Goat Yoga in the Arroyo. Enjoy a lighthearted outdoor yoga experience surrounded by playful goats, Nature's great grass eaters. This beginner-friendly yoga session blends movement, laughter, and connection with nature, offering a unique way to relax, recharge, and celebrate the arrival of the Arroyo Goats. More: OneArroyo.org

Goats may save LA foothills
Altadena Earth Day (Colorado Blvd)
The City of Pasadena and the One Arroyo Foundation are set to host a distinctive Earth Day Celebration this Saturday, inviting the community to witness an innovative approach to landscape restoration and wildfire risk reduction. The highlight of the event will be the deployment of approximately 600 goats into the Arroyo Seco ("Dry Gully"), where they will embark on a targeted grazing mission across 100 acres to clear invasive vegetation. This natural method not only helps protect the beloved Arroyo but also offers a fascinating spectacle for attendees of all ages. More: pasadenanow.com/weekendr
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Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Catholic Buddhist Lent: Ash Wednesday





Holy [Hindu style) ashes on Ash Wednesday
Happy Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent for most Christians. Wisdom Quarterly's Mexican Buddhist Crystal Q. is torn between celebrating abstinence, the Five Eight or Ten Precepts, Ten Commandments, and reverting to simplicity. Since ancient Indian times, ashes from the pyre have been used by wandering ascetics as a way of getting clean. (Ashes are absorbent, and when collected from a funerary pyre, they are a strong reminder of this body's mortality). Buddhist David Bowie perhaps quoted the Anglican prayer book best when he sang, "Ashes to ashes, funk to funky, we know Major Tom's a junkie" (David Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes").

The tilma of Juan Diego: Our Lady of Guadalupe

Madonna and Child? Kwan Yin
Why would a Mexican be Buddhist? One strong reason in the past was the arrival of Buddhist missionaries from Afghanistan and China before the arrival of Christianity. See American researcher Edward P. Vining and his published findings in An Inglorious Columbus: Or Evidence that Hwui Shan and a Party of Buddhist Monks from Afghanistan Discovered America in the Fifth Century, A.D.) Of course, in modern times Mexican Americans would love Buddhism for its many qualities and perhaps recognizing in the Buddhist Goddess of Compassion Guan Yin a great deal of the Virgin of Guadalupe.


So it's time for a field trip to church (Catholic mass) to see these smearing of cremation ashes across foreheads in Los Angeles. Ananda is eager to see what this is all about. CC took us to the giant Buddhist temple east of Los Angeles in the very Asian San Gabriel Valley, where we enjoyed the Aztec dancers dancing for the Chinese Mahayana Humanist Buddhist crowd. So this explosion/clash of Mexican and European church tradition ought to be a Roman spectacular.

WHAT HAPPENED?
St. Andrew's Church (Pasadena)
Pasadena, California, has many Catholics, and "church" (mass) was packed. The one we attended is beautiful inside, much more beautiful than the usual Holy Roman Empire version. It has a picture of God unlike any other Euro Catholic church building we've ever seen, a massive mural. And next to the God are beautiful devas ("angels"), drawn in gold and very colorful. The many pews were full, and there is a Spanish language service going on in the school building across the street. This church building is on the corner of Fair Oaks and the 134 Freeway, with a big belfry and clock (campanile). Inside, it's like a mausoleum of imported stone. And the attendees are a mix of Hispanics, Italians, Europeans, and a sprinkling of Blacks and Asians. Everyone is very nice and seem repentant as they line up for their pyre ashes, almost certainly incense stick remnants and coal. Wine and gluten crackers are served, if one doesn't mind mixing saliva with everyone else, but it's wiped with a white towel between sips, which is certainly sterilizing through prayer and God's power or the priest's magic. The officiant and his altar boy assistants said some nice words, encouraged people to be good and observe the Ramadan Lenten (Latin Quadragesima, "Fortieth") self-purification practices for the next month and ten days, and to do acts of abstinence, restraint, charity, and kindness, all beautiful sentiments for those who live up to the best of their religion. It is very much like the Buddhist Rains Retreat (Pali Vassa).

Meat eating during the Holy Season?

We agree: Let animals live by not eating them.
Historically, abstinence from meat was a requirement on the days of the Lenten season, including Sunday, the "Lord's Day") [20]. In Eastern Christianity -- including Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Catholics, Eastern Lutherans, and Oriental Orthodox -- Great Lent is observed continuously without interruption for 40 days starting on Clean Monday and ending on Lazarus Saturday before Holy Week [21, 6] and the big finale of the real New Year's Day, Easter, the first day of spring (time of renewal, when the "son" rises after being as dead as the winter, as explained by Astrotheology). More


In India, cremation ashes are called phool ("flowers"). They are collected from the pyre in a rite-of-passage called asthi sanchayana then dispersed. This signifies redemption of the dead in waters (like those of the "holy" Ganges or Jordan River) considered to be sacred and a closure for the living (Hinduism, Note 28).


American Pope's first Lent

Kendrick Lamar's Lefty Gunplay, Grammy Award winning LA Latino
Dr. Dre made mad money signing Eminem, so Kendrick adopted Lefty Gunplay (F. Scott Holladay)


Viking berserkers got high first?
Hollywood's Hart is Catholic?
(HP) Christianity erased the truth, but the evidence remains: Viking "berserkers" were said to fight in a trance of unstoppable fury. Some historians believe this rage may have been triggered by psychoactive plants like henbane or hallucinogenic mushrooms. Seeds found in a Viking grave in Denmark suggest these substances were known and possibly used. Christians systematically destroyed much of the old pagan knowledge. This video explores the evidence behind one of Viking history’s strangest questions. More
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Monday, December 22, 2025

Another world in woods with green beings


We live on the Emerald Isle, too (Ireland)
WOOLPIT, England - The story of the green children of Woolpit concerns two [Fairy] children of unusual skin color who reportedly appeared in the village of Woolpit in Suffolk, England, sometime in the 12th century, perhaps during the reign of King Stephen (r. 1135–1154). The odd children, found to be brother and sister, were of generally normal appearance except for the green color of their skin. They spoke in an unknown language and would eat only raw broad beans. Eventually, they learned to eat other [surface human] food and lost their green color, but the boy was sickly and died around the time of his and his sister's baptism. More
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Monday, October 20, 2025

Diwali: Festival of Lights (Cali, Chi, NJ)


(Encyclopaedia Brittanica) Diwali (Dipa-wali) is one of the major religious festivals in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism [not Buddhism], lasting for five days from the 13th day of the dark half of the lunar month Ashvina to the second day of the light half of the lunar month Karttika.


(The corresponding dates on the Gregorian calendar usually fall on late October and November). The name is derived from the Sanskrit term dipavali, meaning “row of lights.” The festival generally symbolizes the victory of light over darkness. More


Los Angeles, California Diwali and Annakut Celebration
(BAPSChannel) Experience the lights, festivities, and joy of Diwali and Annakut at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir on the outskirts of Los Angeles, For more details, visit: https://www.baps.org/News/2024/Diwali... #BAPS #BAPSDiwali #diwali #diwali2024 #festivaloflights #na50 #diwalicelebration #diwalifestival #losangeles

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Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Beautiful Westerner alone in India


Alone in India
(Millicent Rose) Premiered Aug. 14, 2025: I took a year out from my degree and went to India for six months, alone. It was the most transformative time of my life, I went with a one-way ticket to do yoga teacher training and went on to travel seven states, learn Buddhist meditation, and fully immerse myself in the culture, food, people, and religion(s). These eight minutes barely begin to dream of scratching the surface of the experiences I had, but putting these clips together made the already far away dream feel more of a reality.

Gross and revolting, India has the most beautiful places in the world, too
(Travel With Nom Nom) I traveled across India. What I found will shock you. | Unseen India

(Travel For Phoebe) Is India safe for women? My honest travel experience
What if I go with my friend?

Sexual assault exists in India, but maybe just to Westerners?
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