English Buddhist Monk live from Asia

(English Buddhist Monk) English Buddhist Monk is LIVE

Dogma or Freedom?

Japan's mummy monks and Kundalini

(dakota of earth)

Yamabushi (山伏, one who prostrates oneself on the mountain) are Japanese mountain ascetic hermits [1]. They are generally part of the syncretic Shugendō religion,* which includes Tantric [Vajrayana] Buddhism and the indigenous Shinto [2].

Their origins can be traced back to the solitary yamabito ("wild hill people") and some hijiri (聖) ("wandering Buddhist ascetics and renunciants") of the eighth and ninth centuries [3].

According to American writer Frederik L. Schodt:

• "These positively medieval-looking nature worshipers carry metal staves and conch shells and wear straw sandals and sometimes a hemp cloth over-robe with the Heart Sutra written on it. They follow a mixture of esoteric or tantric Buddhism mixed with Shinto, the native animistic religion of Japan" [4]. More

Kundalini Gone Wild

(Vismaya) Kundalini Gone Wild: the real cases

• 

  Kundalini: The Evolutionary Energy

  Kundalini: The Evolutionary Energy in Man by Gopi Krishna HAS 4.7 out of 5 stars with 230 reviews: Coiled like a snake at the base of the spine, "Kundalini" is the spiritual force that lies dormant in every human being. Once awakened, often through meditation and yogic practices, it rises up the spinal column and finds expression in the form of spiritual knowledge, mystical vision, psychic powers, and ultimately, "enlightenment." [This is not real enlightenment or bodhi as defined in Buddhism, but what other traditions consider "enlightenment."]
• This book is the classic first-person account of Gopi Krishna, an ordinary Indian householder who, at the age of 34, after years of unsupervised meditation, suddenly experienced the awakening of kundalini during his morning practice.
• The story of this transformative experience, and the author's struggle to regain balance amid a variety of powerful psychic and physiological side effects, forms the core of the book.
• [This condition afflicts an estimated 100 or so Westerners a year who visit India and go "crazy" from either exposure to energies, the Himalayas, the Moon, mystics, god beings (possibly extraterrestrial or interdimensional), artifacts, or dedicated practice... It has happened to two young blond Americans we know of and one we met who, like Gopi Krishna, regained stability, earned an advanced degree, and tries to counsel victims to bring the chakras back into balance and stabilize this energetic kundalini force. One really can make it back to normal.]
• His detailed descriptions of his dramatic inner experiences and symptoms such as mood swings, eating disorders, and agonizing sensations of heat—and of how, with the help of his wife, he finally stabilized at a higher level of consciousness—make this one of the most valuable classics of spiritual awakening available. More

A new syncretic religion in Japan

What the Buddha Never Taught

*Shugen-dō (修験道, lit. "the Way [of] Trial [and] Practice," the "Way of Shugen or Gen-practice") [1] is a syncretic Esoteric Buddhist religion, a body of extreme ascetic practices that originated in the Nara Period of Japan, having evolved during the 7th century from an amalgamation of beliefs, philosophies, doctrines, and ritual systems drawn primarily from

• Esoteric Buddhism [Shingon Buddhism],
• local folk-religious practices,
• Shinto,
• mountain worship, and
• Taoism.

The final purpose of Shugen-dō is for practitioners to find supernatural power and save themselves and the masses by conducting religious training while treading through steep mountain ranges. Practitioners are called Shugenja (修験者) or Yamabushi (山伏, lit. '"Mountain Prostrator"') [2]. More

'Wu wei' explained: Taoism in Zen

(Daily Tao Wisdom) The true story of wu wei (a concept in Taoism inherited by Zen (Chan), Chinese culture, and the Mahayana school of Buddhism -- told by the man who refused to explain it, "He Fang" (He Yan?)

Gandharan Buddhist Texts: Rhino Sutra

(Tan Lay) Ancient Gandharan (Proto-Indian) Buddhist text: Rhinoceros Sutra (audiobook)

• Snp 1.3: Khaggavisāṇa Sutta—Ven. Sujato (translation)

First statues of the Buddha

In the years following Alexander the Great’s conquest of the East, a series of empires rose up along the Silk Road. In what is now northern Pakistan, the civilizations in the region called ancient Gandhara became increasingly important centers for the development of Buddhism, reaching their apex under King Kaniska of the Kusanas (Kushan Empire) in the second century CE.

Gandhara has long been known for its Greek-Indian (Greco-Buddhist) synthesis in architecture and statuary, but until about 20 years ago, almost nothing was known about its Buddhist literature (Gandhāran Buddhist texts).

Buddhist Lit of Ancient Gandhara

The insights provided by manuscripts unearthed over the last few decades show that Gandhara was indeed a vital link in the early development of Buddhism, instrumental in both the transmission (Journey to the West, Monkey King) of Buddhism to China and the rise of the Mahayana tradition.

The Buddhist Literature of Ancient Gandhara surveys what we know about Gandhara and its Buddhism, and it also provides translations of a dozen different short texts, from similes and stories to treatises on time and reality.

Afghan Buddhas: The Ancient Art of Gandhara || Overlooked Art History

Afghanistan's Buddhas: The Ancient Art of Gandhara || Overlooked Art History

(Athena Art Foundation) Feb. 20, 2023: The history of ancient Gandharan art is a reminder of Afghanistan's diverse and beautiful history, in poignant contrast to its current political turmoil. 🇦🇫 Gandhara was an ancient region located in parts of present-day northeast Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan. Gandharan sculpture is characterized by its combination of ancient Greek and Buddhist styles, highly influenced by the conquest of Alexander the Great in 327 BC. #sculptor #arthistory #learnart

• 0:00-0:55 Introduction
• 0:56-1:30 Gandharan history
• 1:31-2:40 First human depictions of the Buddha
• 2:40-3:46 Other subject matter

Gandhara: Pakistan's Buddhist Legacy (exploring Taxila, Takht-i-Bhai, Shindagar (Swat)

• Takht-i-Bahi, Buddhist Afghanistan
• Mes Aynak, Little Copper Well, unexcavated Buddhist temple complex
• Buddhism in Afghanistan, Central Asia
• Buddhism in Central Asia
• Gandhāra (kingdom)
• Buddhism in Pakistan
• Ajina Tepe, Tajikistan
• Greco-Buddhist monasticism

Superiority of Solitude in Early Buddhism: "The Rhinoceros Sutta"

(Doug's Dharma) Nov. 27, 2023: Is solitary practice superior? [The best companionship is with a kalyana-mitta or "noble friend," and the second best, if no such friend can be found, is to go alone.] Let us consider the problem through a look at one of the most powerful and enigmatic early Buddhist poems, the Rhinoceros Sutra. What does it tell us, and who composed it?

• 00:00 Intro — viewer question and a poem
• 02:26 What does the poem say?
• 04:37 The central tension of Buddhist practice: solitude and community
• 08:06 Who composed the poem, when, and why?
• 09:14 Pre-Buddhist origin?
• ["Pre-Buddhist" refers to when there were only silent or non-teaching (pacceka-) buddhas, considered pre-Buddhist because the historical Supremely Enlightened Buddha (samma-sam-buddha) Siddhartha Gautama or Shakyamuni has not yet arisen in the world; however, there have been other supremely awakened teaching buddhas in the distant past. This means there were Buddhists before Buddhism even if they were not called that and a long line of at least 28 teaching-buddhas mentioned by the Buddha as having preceded him.]
• 09:59 Buddhist origin?
• 14:10 Both origins?

📙 BOOK: A Handbook of Early Buddhist Wisdom, with a foreword by Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi. 🧡 Find this material useful? Check out Dr. Doug's Patreon page and get fun benefits like exclusive videos, audio-only versions, and extensive show notes: dougsseculardharma. 🧡 Donate: paypal.me/dougsdharma ☸️ Free mini-course at the Online Dharma Institute: onlinedharma.org. 🎙Check out podcast with Jon Aaron, "Diggin' the Dharma," digginthedharma.com

✅ Books mentioned

• Bhikkhu Bodhi (trans.) The Suttanipāta: An Ancient Collection of the Buddha’s Discourses Together with its Commentaries (Wisdom Publications, 2017)
• Richard Salomon, The Buddhist Literature of Ancient Gandhāra (Wisdom Publications, 2018)
• The Buddhist Literature of Ancient Gandhara: An Introduction with Selected Translations (Classics of Indian Buddhism)

NOTE: As an Amazon associate, Dr. Doug earns from qualifying purchases. Amazon links are affiliate links where he will earn a very small commission on purchases made at no additional cost to purchaser. This goes a tiny way towards defraying the costs of making these videos. Thanks!

✅ Video mentioned: The Early Ideal of the "Lone Buddha" or Pacceka-buddha — • The Early Ideal of the "Lone Buddha"...

✅ Sutta mentioned: suttacentral.net/mn122/en/sujato

Webpage: dougsdharma.com. Facebook: onlinedharmainstitute. Mastodon: mindly.social/@dougsdharma. Instagram: dougsdharma. Threads: threads.net/@dougsdharma. Thumbnail photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

❤️ Thanks to Patreon Patrons: Anonymous (3) John Oborne DunJing Jimmy Maa Debbie Mattison Fine Art Steve H. Ron Peat Matthew Smith Shantha Wengappuli Karma_CAC Jorge Seguel Christopher Apostolof GailJM Brett Merritt David Bell T Pham VCR Upayadhi Andi and Erik ATGuerrero686 Michael Scherrer khobe schofield Alex Perdomo Benji Forsyth Blaze Way Sonny Flink Steve Marlor Joy L Lee Andrew Tom Anthony Tucker Karlee R Ethan M Billy in Singapore Olivia Otter Carl Lennartson xiao mao Jeff Harvey Andrew Ingrouille Kenneth Grandchamp Doug Fonner Rene Gariepy Russell Needham Smoggyrob Mac Roja Bernardo Clémence Ortega Douville Kwan Alex Scott Johnston Richard J Beninger Nathanael O. Arnquist SaturnianMandala Trin P Letesa Isler Dorien Izel Robert Paterson Jake Tobiason Louvenia Ortega Steve S. Richard Rappuhn Sarah Kress John Aaron Paul Niklewski Kong Ing Kai Dave Gorman rhys reed Osanda Wijeratne Billy Scarlett Farrow

• Gandhara: A Forgotten History by Jay Vardhan Singh
• Tan Lay; Doug's Dharma; Dhr. Seven and Amber Larson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Hiking far from the maddening crowd

Mindful Breathing, Four Elements

Sometimes it's enough. Sometimes one needs to get away, faraway, far from the maddening crowd, Dharma Bums in search of enlightenment. On return to the U.S., it's straight to Dharma Bum Temple in Southern California.

Imagine wandering in ancient India (Buddhist Emperor Ashoka's Great Bharat) in search of peace and a permanent end to ALL further suffering (disappointment, lack of fulfillment, ill, woe, misery).

Wandering like one lost, suddenly one is not lost. One is a wandering ascetic, a shramana (shaman), on a spiritual quest for stillness and wisdom (samadhi and panna). Going about from village to village in search of alms, like a deer that lists where it may, one stumbles on Thimmappana Betta Twin rocks.

• The ultimate origin of Sanskrit sramana (Buddhist Pali samaṇa) may be the Evenki language word 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).
• A wandering ascetic (Buddhist monastic) has three pursuits: training in the higher virtue, higher thought, and higher insight. One must follow these pursuits keenly, otherwise, it is said, one's presence in the Buddha's Monastic Order (Sangha) will be like that of an ass in a herd of cattle (A.i.229).
• A samana (or shramana) is a person "who labors, toils, or exerts...for some higher or religious purpose" [1][2], "seeker, or ascetic, one who performs acts of austerity" [3][4][5][6]. The term in early Vedic literature is predominantly used as an epithet for seers (rishis) with reference to śrama associated with ritual exertion.
• The term in [pre-Hindu] Vedic (and subsequently Hindu) texts does not express non-Vedic connotations found in post-Vedic Buddhist and Jain canonical texts [7].
• During its later semantic development, the term came to refer to non-Brahmanical ascetic movements parallel to but separate from the old Vedic religion [4][5][8].
• The śramaṇa tradition includes Buddhism [10], Jainism [9], and others.
• In this Noble Sangha (attained spiritual community) four kinds of monastic are to be found: stream-enterers (sotāpannas), once-returners (sakadāgāmins), non-returners (anāgāmins), and full-enlightened ones (arahants). These are not to be found among the followers of other dharmas, contrary teachings (Samana Sutta, A.ii.238).
• The Samana Sutta (A.iv.340) covers the different names by which a Tathāgata ("Wayfarer," the word the Buddha chose in referring to himself) is known.
• (Descriptions derived from the Buddhist Dictionary of Pali Proper Names, Samana Sutta, by G. P. Malalasekera, Pali Text Society, London edited for Wisdom Quarterly by Dhr. Seven)

(All Trails) It's an easy hike to Thimmappana Betta Twin rocks in Ramanagara, Karnataka, India.

DIRECTIONS

The trail to Thimmappana Betta Twin rocks is only 0.6 miles long with a 91-foot elevation gain. It will take 30 to 60 minutes to arrive. The Twin Rocks near it are one of the popular tourist destinations in Kuttagallu.

Spectacular views make up the landscapes of this location, which are green with a bit of a rocky outcrop. Along with being green, this location is diverse as well and is home to various species of flora and fauna.

The trailhead rests by Bettada Kalyani at Kuttagallu and can be reached via various transportation options, such as taxi, cab, private vehicle, or foot.

TOP SIGHTS

Thimmappana Betta peak, Chakrateertha Pond. Twin Rocks. Expect some pesky mosquitos along the trail. It may even rain. It is not crowded. The best time to go is after summer and before monsoon season. Parking: Free, small lot. More

How shall we meditate when we get there?

Standing in the face of adversity

"Meditators, there are five types of warriors found existing in the world. What are these five?

"There is a warrior who, on seeing a cloud of dust [stirred up by an enemy army], falters, faints, does not steel oneself, cannot engage in battle. This is the first type of warrior found existing in the world. More

• SUTRA: How the Buddha's 'warriors' practice

Doug's Dharma: What is 'solitude'?

Solitude: Its advantages and drawbacks in Buddhist practice

(Doug's Dharma) June 9, 2025: The Buddha praised solitude [well undertaken as temporary withdrawal, mental seclusion, peaceful isolation, private intensive meditation, accompanied by piti from samma-samadhi] as highly beneficial.

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:48 The benefits of solitude
• 04:26 Dangers of solitude
• 07:06 Finding the balance
• 10:07 Cultivating solitude in lay life
• 11:47 Buddha's wisdom on solitude

He also warned of its dangers [when not well undertaken, done without the jhanas, the meditative absorptions, "right concentration," the stabilizing inner-stillness of samadhi].

How can we best balance solitude and community in our practice? How can we cultivate solitude [mental seclusion, temporary withdrawal] even in our busy everyday lives?

🧡 Find this material useful? Check out the Patreon page and get fun benefits like exclusive videos, audio-only versions, and extensive show notes: dougsseculardharma.

Do God or gods exist?

🧡 It is also possible to make donations through: paypal.me/dougsdharma. 📙 Check out the book, A Handbook of Early Buddhist Wisdom, with a foreword by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi:  books2read.com/buddhisthandbook.

☸️ Free mini-course at the Online Dharma Institute: onlinedharma.org. 🎙Check out Doug Smith's podcast with Jon Aaron, "Diggin' the Dharma": digginthedharma.com.

✅ Videos mentioned:

• Superiority of Solitude in Early Buddhism: The Rhinoceros Sutta
• Striking A Balance: Finding The Middle Way in Buddhism
• Is Meditation Dangerous?

✅ Sutras mentioned:

• suttacentral.net/mn122/en/sujato
• suttacentral.net/an10.99/en/s...
• suttacentral.net/sn45.2/en/su...

WEBSITE: dougsdharma.com

• Facebook: onlinedharmainstitute
• Mastodon: mindly.social/@dougsdharma
• Instagram: dougsdharma
• Threads: threads.net/@dougsdharma
• Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/dougsdharma....
• Thumbnail image courtesy of kalyanayahaluwo at Pixabay.

❤️ Thanks to Patreon Patrons: Anonymous (3) Omar John Oborne Debbie Mattison Ron Peat Michael S. Kearns Anne Matthew Smith Shantha Wengappuli Karma_CAC Jorge Seguel Christopher Apostolof GailJM David Bell T Pham VCR Upayadhi Andi and Erik Michael Scherrer khobe schofield Alex Perdomo Benji Forsyth Sonny Flink Steve Marlor Joy L Lee Andrew Tom Anthony Tucker Karlee R Ethan M Billy in Singapore Olivia Otter Carl Lennartson xiao mao Jeff Harvey Andrew Ingrouille Kenneth Grandchamp Rene Gariepy Russell Needham Smoggyrob Mac Roja Clémence Ortega Douville Kwan Alex Scott Johnston Richard J Beninger Nathanael O. Arnquist SaturnianMandala Trin P Letesa Isler Dorien Izel Robert Paterson Jake Tobiason Louvenia Ortega Steve S. Richard Rappuhn Sarah Kress John Aaron Paul Niklewski Kong Ing Kai Dave Gorman rhys reed Osanda Wijeratne Scarlett Farrow BJ - RetreaTours™ Roland Harris karen Rob John Brady Schickinger Jenn A. Hieu Chi Tran Kenneth Sorensen Will Mosse Sharon E. Ken M Mattias Sjölin Marc Belanger Kyaw Thurein

• Dr. Doug Smith, Doug's Dharma, onlinedharma.org, June 9, 2025; Seth Auberon, Sheldon S. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Living with Tibetan monks in Himalayas

Definition of monastery? #SangayNyinparinpocohe

Is it like the Sanskrit word ashram, "a place of effort" for sramanas?

The Life of a Forest Monk (word free)

Int'l Day of Forests (March 21)

The call of the wild, the lure of the quiet, what causes city people to venture into the woods?

.

Forests welcome the spring

It must be the first full day of spring because we are honoring the proudest members of Nature, the trees. Since the original towering tree, which mycologist Paul Stamets is sure was a giant mushroom on a primordial earth, trees have been the charismatic megaflora of the world.

Their diversity is stunning, and their size varies from the time they used silica instead of carbon (and left mountain size stumps all over the world) until today when the oldest and largest are on the Island of California, one a bristlecone pine named Methuselah out near US 395 by Bishop on the way to Death Valley, the other a redwood in Northern California they are trying to fence off from tourists. The exact location of each is kept secret but is said to be possible to find with a search.

• A Journey Through the World's Oldest Forests (Hunter Robinson) Forests have stood the test of time, witnessing millennia of change, (d)evolution, and human history. Some of the world's oldest forests date back millions -- even hundreds of millions -- of years, preserving an incredible glimpse into Earth's prehistoric past. These ancient woodlands are home to towering trees, rare wildlife, and ecosystems that have remained virtually unchanged for centuries. From the towering redwoods of California to the misty, primeval jungles of Malaysia, here's a journey through the world's oldest forests, where nature tells the story of time itself.

Why do Buddhists care so much about trees?

Thai Theravada Forest Tradition

Buddhism is a "forest tradition." It started there with the future Buddha, the Bodhisatta (Prince Siddhattha Gotama or Siddhartha Gautama, soon to become the Buddha or "Awakened One"), under a big sal tree. That is where he was reborn in the womb of Maya, who was on her way to see her parents for the delivery. But it came in a garden grove under a sturdy sal (sala) tree. (Why a sal tree? The lore of the Salabhanjika that might explain that).

Born in a garden grove of trees in Lumbini

That newly reborn child, coming down from the Tusita world to pursue enlightenment, made good on his mission decades later by leaving his palace and life of privilege, taking up yoga and meditation with Yogi Āḷāra Kālāma and Yogi Uddaka Rāmaputta until he set off on his own.

He was followed by a group of Five Ascetics (Kondañña, Assaji, Bhaddiya, Vappa, and Mahānāma), until he left them for a big banyan tree so that he could make his own way alone, which didn't work out but which saved his life thanks to the intercession of a milkmaid named Sujata, who offered the wandering ascetic Siddhartha solid food, mistaking him for the spirit of the tree he was at that time sitting under in the forest.

The Wandering Ascetic Siddhartha, the Buddha

Regaining his strength under Sujata and her servant's care, he abandoned severe asceticism as useless for achieving actual enlightenment and liberation. (They may help in other traditions, but that is because those traditions do not have as stringent a definition as to what constitutes real awakening and freedom). He set off in search of another tree, the now famous Bodhi Tree (Ficus religiosa), the oldest documented tree in the world. Under it Siddhartha strived to enter the meditative absorptions, bring them to perfection of samadhi and then practiced for insight (what Buddhism in the Commentaries came to call vipassana). The combination of calm and insight was the Middle Path of mental purification the Bodhisattva ("Being bent on enlightenment") had been searching for on his quest for enlightenment that had taken nearly seven years.

• Ending six years of severe asceticism, his body emaciated appearance led Sujata to believe he was the tree-spirit (bhumi-deva, dryad) who had granted her wish. She thanked him with enough nourishment to cultivate the Middle Way, develop meditative absorption (jhana), and attain enlightenment or bodhi, thereafter becoming known as the "Enlightened One" or the Buddha.

When 45 years of teaching the Middle Way and bringing the Dhamma (knowledge of the path to enlightenment) back into the world, the Buddha relinquished the will to live on. He decided to hike to Kushinagar, where he found twin sal trees to recline into nirvana, closing out an 80-year-long life after countless rebirths as the Bodhisatta.

• List of places where Gautama Buddha stayed (in the forest): Bamboo Grove, Jeta's Grove, Vulture Peak (surrounded by the Rajgir forest), and so on

Passing into final nirvana between sal trees

For 45 years the Buddha remained a wandering ascetic (shramana), abiding in forest groves rather than accepting other more luxurious lodgings offered to him. When he trained nuns, monks, novices, and lay people, he often recommended they find a quiet place where they would not be disturbed by noise and other people. Here they could cultivate the Middle Path, avoiding extremes. Here they could realize the ultimate truth. Here they could see and experience for themselves that what the Buddha taught did not depend on the Buddha to be considered "Truth." It could be objectively verified. Here, where? The forest, woods, or a pleasant garden under a portable mosquito net.

• Dhr. Seven, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Pat Macpherson, Wisdom Quarterly

What to do about "Karma"? (film)

COMMENTARY

Why would anyone in her right mind move to the secluded Himalayan foothills to live in caves or caverns, alone, striving, practicing for calm and insight?

To traffic beings for slaughter/slavery=heavy karma

What is karma? A deed, which the Buddha defined as an "action" or, more accurately as the intention (cetana) behind an action, the motivation, impulse, volition, guide, ambition. Therefore, to burp in public is disruptive and impolite, but it might just happen.

Intentionally burping to disrupt someone's talk or to offend others, that is the karma of interrupting or offending. Taking a sharp knife and stabbing someone is a good deed motivated by skill and compassion. so long as it is done when practicing healing, perhaps as a surgeon or old time barber. Taking that very same blade and piercing a living being is some of the worst karma. It's the very same action but a very different motivation.

• 

  Cayce could see karma as cause

  There are in a sense only six kinds of karma manifesting in infinite complexities and nuances. The general six are those classes of actions motivated by greed (liking, lust, desire, avarice, craving), hatred (disliking, aversion, fear, revulsion), delusion (ignorance, wrong views, blindness, confusion); nongreed (letting go, generosity, charity, sharing), nonhatred (love, kindness, compassion, conscientiousness, joy in their joy), or nondelusion (wisdom, knowing-and-seeing, right views, understanding). Results (vipakas and phalas) are not punishments or rewards because no one is standing in judgment dishing out consequences, comeuppances, crowns, or gold stars. Indeed, karma is very strange in how actions find their results, infinitely complex, one of the Four Imponderables. So it is always good and to one's advantage to have a greater store of skillful karma and less unskillful. Think of a cup of water spiked with salt. It becomes very salty and undrinkable (intolerable). How to make it drinkable (tolerable) again since we cannot take out that salt now dissolved into the mix? Easy! Increase the water. Pour water (skillful karma) into the mix to dilute the salt (unskillful karma), until there's so much good that there's no trace of salt at all.

This is the distinction between the action we see from the outside and the intention we don't see motivating it.

But we ourselves, if we are mindful, patient, and honest with ourselves may be able to discern our motives. Then we can see what results and fruits (vipaka and phala) are to be expected when those deeds ripen. It is a regularity or law of the universe, the Buddha taught, that actions beget results, whether they are consequences to endure or delights to enjoy. "Karma is a B," they say.

Who's Karma? In this Tibetan film, it seems to be this nun or ani, who reminds us of Maria in The Sound of Music, the loveable troublemaker and rule breaker with a kind and innocent heart. What are we going to do about the problem Maria? Just enjoy her. She may have much to teach monastics who start to harden or ossify like the back of an unhealthy and inflexible elderly woman. Wouldn't it keep her younger if she relaxed, lightened up, and enjoyed Karma and Maria's antics?

Now why would anyone choose to be a hermit, ascetic, recluse, withdrawn and intensively practicing austerities as if they were penance? There is a very good reason -- to quickly make an end of suffering by reaching the path of calm-and-insight. Most are in no such hurry, so we live as laypeople. But some ascetics are well-motivated and follow a course of conduct others can hardly understand. Even among ordained people, it must be unusual to ever meet someone taking up the 13 "sane ascetic practices" (dhutangas) the Buddha recommended.

The Buddha, being wise about people, did not ask people to become wandering ascetics or shramanas like him and be miserable. Seeing the wisdom of morality, silence, mental withdrawal, stillness, concentration, and living in the company of noble friends (kalyana-mittas), which refers to monastics on the paths of awakening -- from the first stage (stream entry) to full enlightenment (arhatship). Such friends are rare, extraordinarily rare, in the world.

Among these the Buddha is the best friend of beings, showing them the way to freedom, liberation, awakening, and the deathless state of peace (nirvana). People fear it, thinking it will cramp their style and hedonistic pursuits. But as the Buddha said, he would never recommend to someone to let go of a higher thing for a lower thing.

Butcher Cunda: terrible karma of killing animals

However, letting go of a lower thing for a higher thing, that he would recommend. Leaving a wealthy life of beauty, power over others, youthfulness, pleasure, and a heavenly destination -- who would call that a "lower thing"? The Buddha would. Why? He would because he points the way to a "higher thing" -- letting go, something that cannot be lost, power over oneself, deathlessness, supersensual pleasures (bliss, joy, contentedness, sukha, piti), and a destination beyond rebirth and beyond the reach of any suffering whatsoever. What wise person could fail to see the advantage of what the Awakened One is making available. Still, most of us will not believe and will be afraid of any suggestion we let go of anything. It's mine! I need it. I earned it. I must have it and never lose it!

How silly we. It is not ours (as even "self" is not ours). It is not needed but a hindrance. Was it earned or was the result of previous good karma wasted on it? I do not have to have it and losing it, no matter what, is inevitable. Therefore, would it not be much wiser to let go of the lesser and go forth from the home life to the "left home life" of a nun, a temporarily ordained monastic, or at least an intensive retreatant meditating in earnestness to taste the fruits of letting go and being free?

There is a reason why for hundreds of thousands and even millions of years of life on the human plane some have opted to abandon the lay life of a householder on a spiritual quest seeking the meaning of things and freedom from the mundane. The goal of such wise one was spiritual liberation and peace. Some find it.

The others gain samadhi and mystical powers, psychic abilities, seeing other realms, a higher rebirth, and peace in this very life. If they choose and continue to develop their wisdom, they gain the final liberation the Buddha was pointing at.

Before the Buddha, and therefore before Buddhism, there were already

wandering ascetics who renounced the world, lived on alms, and meditated.

• TEXT: Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Wisdom Quarterly

Mysteries of monastic practice (video)

Mysterious monks around the Himalayas – practicing since the Ice Age?

The Buddha was an Indo-Scythian living close to the Himalayan range his whole life.

.

Siddhartha failing at asceticism

(FactFile) Sept. 20, 2024: Just as every culture holds its religion dear and follows unique practices, monks and nuns dedicate their lives to a spiritual practice. These monastics are deeply committed to their Doctrine (dharma), their belief system or faith, immersing themselves in meditation and rituals.

• 

  The Buddha ("Awakened One") finds success

  The Buddha avoided extremes of hedonism and self-mortification, teaching the Middle Way that avoids extremes. He did, however, teach 13 sane ascetic practices (dhutangas) for the overcoming of certain defilements, hindrances, and obstacles to practice to be able to breakthrough to calm and insight (samadhi and vipassana, where samadhi is shamatha and defined as the first four meditative absorptions and insight-practice takes these temporarily purified states and applies them to systematic practice of the satipatthanas or foundations of mindfulness to breakthrough to liberating wisdom, enlightenment, and release from samsara).

Their devotion is a profound expression of their beliefs and play a crucial role in preserving and passing on their spiritual traditions. Through their disciplined practice, they seek to connect with higher truths and guide others on their spiritual journeys.

Let's take a detailed look at some of the world's most mysterious and oldest-known monks. #factfile [This sensationalistic video was originally published under the very misleading clickbait title "Mysterious Monks Found in the Himalayas – And They’ve Been Living Since the Last Ice Age"]

• FactFile, Sept. 20, 2024; Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly