(PBS America) From PBS, PRAJNA EARTH explores the lost civilization of Angkor in Cambodia, the magnificent Angkor Wat temple, and Bali, Indonesia’s sacred landscapes.
Narrated by Sharon Stone, the trilogy's second film also shares trance dancers in the jungles of Java and the gigantic seven level mandala mountain of Borobudur (the largest excavated Buddhist temple in the world) and is described as “inducing an inner journey” by Asia Society, New York.
14th Dalai Lama endorsed film
Called “eye-opening and essential if you have an interest in Eastern spirituality” by the Boston Globe and an “illuminating meditation” by Variety, these visually stunning documentaries are cinematic pilgrimages to legendary places in Buddhist Southeast Asia and Tibet, including the spiritual wonders of Buddhist Laos, Thailand, Burma (Myanmar), Bali, Cambodia, Java, and Central Tibet (China).
Welcome to PBS America, a channel curated for an international audience from America's Public Broadcasting Service, PBS. This is a factual focused channel including award-winning American history, current affairs, and science.
On the Path of the Buddha: Buddhist Pilgrimage in North India and Nepal
(Phillip Lucas) This educational video follows the path of Buddhist pilgrims from around the world as they visit Lumbini, Nepal, the traditional site thought to be where Prince Siddhartha (the Buddha-to-be) was born.
Then it is on to "Enlightenment Grove" or Bodh Gaya in Bihar (Vihara), India, the site of Prince Siddhartha's great awakening or enlightenment (maha bodhi).
Then it is on to Sarnath, India, the site of the Buddha's first sutra or sermon, where he made five converts of wandering ascetics who previously accompanied him on his spiritual quest.
Then it is on to the ancient royal city of Rajgir, India, the site of Vulture's Peak, the hill where the Buddha delivered several famous sutras.
Then it is on to Vaishali, India, where the Buddha first accepted females into the Buddhist Order of Nuns (Bhikkhuni Sangha).
Finally, it is on to Kushinagar, India, the site of the Buddha's final nirvana, the culmination of his long journey through samsara (the Wheel of Life and Death).
But mysteries are wrapped in devotion:
Nestled in the majestic Himalayan mountains, Kedarnath is not just a temple — it’s a realm where devotion meets the unexplained.
Revered as one of the holiest shrines dedicated to the Hindu great-god Shiva, "the Destroyer," this ancient temple has stood the test of time, guarding secrets that remain unsolved to this day.
From miraculous survival against nature’s seismic fury to the legends steeped in mythology, Kedarnath is a sacred site shrouded in mystery. Join a journey to uncover its spiritual significance, untold stories, and the divine aura that make Kedarnath a place where faith and enigma are intertwined.
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Explore the mysteries of Hinduism, ancient civilizations, and spiritual wisdom. π️✨ Dive into stories of Dwarka, Lord Krishna, and more! π️π
π Subscribe for a journey through mythology, archeology, and timeless teachings. ππ«
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Siri Mata-ji (larathayatra.com); Eds., Wisdom Quarterly COMMENTARY
Krishna, the all-attractive "Dark One," has a thing for the human beauty, Radha.
.
It was a very strange meeting of minds at the annual "Festival of the Chariots" on the Venice Beach Boardwalk.
The morning began with KPFK (90.7 FM) playing Alan Watts on the topic of the Bhavagad Gita, devotional-Hinduism "Song of the Lord."
Alan Watts explains the Bhagavad Gita or"The Song of the Lord"
It's a world-famous text that attempts to tell an unbelievable story about how "God" on Earth, Lord Krishna (the "Dark One") argues with Arjuna (the best of men) to kill.
Hare Krishna vegetarians party on the beach
Arjuna doesn't want to kill, particularly not his friends an relatives. But Krishna insists it's the right thing to do.
It must be some kind of metaphor. Surely, it's a metaphor. It can't be literal. No religious text would tell its devotees to KILL or that it's right to kill as long as you're "just doing your job," aka social "duty" (innate obligation under the Vedas' strict caste system) and obeying the Lord.
It turns out it does. These mainly white Hare Krishna converts each said they would kill if God told them to. They weren't kidding. They urged me to kill if instructed. I said, "You must be out of your mind." It's like the satirical Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys opening that song from Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables with the line, "God told me to skin you alive."
Krishna and Krist are pro-gun?
We think of conservative, Republican, gun-toting Jesus freaks eager for war with Russia -- or whomever the Pentagon is designating as the enemy of the moment, which as in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, changes from time to time. Sometimes we're told to hate/fear the communists of China, other times the Muslims of the Middle East, or the Ruskies or the liberals or the Satanists or the unpatriotic or, worst of all, those damned Unbelievers.
(Airplane!) Americans were once sick to the bloody teeth of Hare Krishna cult
It's good we get along, but our followers? Oy vey
No wonder India gets so much "communal violence," which is when Hindu mobs practice ahimsa (non-violence) to the utmost -- murdering Muslims, Christians, members of other castes or creeds or ethnicities -- because they, as the majority, are whipped up into believing the "other" is harming their interests. Indian Prime Minister Modi is accused of inciting ethnic violence and getting tens of thousands murdered to promote himself and his political party, the BJP, and Indian patriotism above all.
At no time did Alan Watts say the central dialogue between the Lord (a kind of "all-attractive" Krist figure) and the ideal man Arjuna was a metaphor. And everyone to a man today said, "It's not a metaphor. It's literally true. I would kill if God (Krishna) told me to."
Expect someone to come down from space ("heaven") and tell the Indians it's time to kill those darn, pesky, Muslim Pakistanis...and they'll do it with Christian Crusader gusto, "Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition." Un be liev a ble. So much for only being a cult aggressively panhandling for cash donations, ISKCON (the International Society for Krishna CONsciousness) is so much more and eventually will be a willing arm of the Indian Army.
The Hare Krishna devotional cult lives on in LA
Send hate mail and threats of communal violence to Wisdom Quarterly care of Editor Ashley Wells, through the comments section. Or if someone has another, less literal, take on the true meaning of the Advice to Arjuna in the Gita, we'd love to hear it. Here is Alan Watts' explanation as the interpreter of Hinduism, Mahayana Buddhism, Zen, and Taoism for the West.
"The Song of the Lord" as metaphor
Wiki Bhagavad Gita edited by Wisdom Quarterly
God on earth (blue-black Krishna) tells Arjuna to fight and kill because it's "right" to do so.
These are all incarnations (avatars) of the Sustainer Lord Vishnu in Hinduism (South Park).
.
If God says so, maybe we should kill? - No, guys.
Summarizing [Hinduism's] Upanishadic conceptions of God, the Gita ("The Song by God") posits the existence of a lower self (atman) and a higher GOD self (Brahman) within each individual [Note 1].
The dialogue between Prince Arjuna and Krishna his charioteer has been interpreted as a metaphor for an immortal dialogue between the human self and God [Note 2].
Commentators of Vedanta (the "best of the Vedas") read varying notions in the Bhagavad Gita about the relationship between the atman (individual Self) and Brahman (universal Self):
Advaita Vedanta affirms the non-dualism of Atman and Brahman [7], Vishisht-advaita asserts qualified non-dualism with Atman and Brahman being related but different in certain respects, while Dvaita Vedanta declares the complete duality of atman and Brahman [Note 3][6][8].
As per Hindu mythology, the Bhagavad Gita was written by the god Ganesha, as told to him by the sage Veda Vyasa.
The Bhagavad Gita presents a synthesis [9][10] of various Hindu ideas about dharma (social duty or innate obligation) [9][10][11], theistic devotion (bhakti) [11][12], and the yogic ideal [10] of liberation (moksha) [10].
The text covers Knowledge, Devotion, Action, and Royal (JΓ±Δna, Bhakti, Karma, and RΔja) Yogas [12], while incorporating ideas from the Samkhya-Yoga philosophy [Web 1][Note 4].
The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most revered Hindu texts [13] and has a unique pan-Hindu influence [14][15]. Numerous commentaries have been written on the Bhagavad Gita with differing views on its essentials. More
The annual "Festival of Chariots" in L.A.
The vast majority of the Festival will be on the Venice Beach Boardwalk.
Travel to India while staying in the U.S. at the 47th Annual Los Angeles Ratha Yatra or "Festival of the Chariots."
On the first Sunday in August, three deities (Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra) take their annual trip, or Yatra, on three 40-foot-tall chariots down Main Street in Santa Monica and onto the iconic Venice Beach Boardwalk.
The Ratha Yatra Festival includes a colorful Indian parade in addition to a festival at the Venice Beach Windward Plaza, featuring cultural performances, a FREE feast, kirtan (spiritual chanting), food stalls, and Indian gifts.
PBS America (UK, Aug. 8, 2022); Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Vajra Sky Over Tibet | Journey into Buddhism (full special)
(PBS America) From PBS, this stunning pilgrimage, “beautifully shot in Tibet’s most sacred sites” as described by Variety, received the blessing of the 14th Dalai Lama and bears witness to the indomitable faith of the Tibetan Buddhist community and the imminent threat to its very survival. Traveling through breathtaking Himalayan terrain, this is the third film in John Bush’s Yatra Trilogy.
Called “eye-opening and essential if you have an interest in Eastern spirituality” by the Boston Globe and an “illuminating meditation” by Variety, these visually stunning documentaries are cinematic pilgrimages to legendary places in Southeast Asia and Tibet, including the spiritual wonders of Laos, Thailand, Burma, Bali, Cambodia, Java, and Central Tibet.
ABOUT: Welcome to PBS America, a British TV channel from America’s public service broadcaster, PBS, showcasing award-winning American history, science, current affairs, plus arts and culture shows alongside the works of living legend Ken Burns, output is all hand-picked by a British team. More PBS America:
Website: pbsamerica.co.uk, twitter.com/pbsamerica, facebook.com/PBSAmerica,instagram.com/pbsintheuk.Vajra Sky Over Tibet | Journey into Buddhism FULL SPECIAL | PBS America
youtu.be/fxDnEUitkWg
John Bush (PBS America, UK), July 25, 2022; Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Dharma River | Journey into Buddhism FULL SPECIAL | PBS America
(PBS America) From PBS, DHARMA RIVER is a timeless journey through legendary rivers to the greatest Buddhist temples and mystical sites of Theravada Buddhist Thailand, Laos, and Burma (Myanmar).
This is the first documentary in John Bush’s Yatra trilogy, which World Movie Reviews called “a spiritual film with a big heart that dazzles with amazing imagery” and “an illuminating meditation” by Variety.
Called “eye-opening and essential if you have an interest in Eastern spirituality” by the Boston Globe and an “illuminating meditation” by Variety, these visually stunning documentaries are cinematic pilgrimages to legendary places in Southeast Asia and Tibet, including the spiritual wonders of Laos, Thailand, Burma, Bali, Cambodia, Java, and Central Tibet.
ABOUT:
Welcome to PBS America, a British TV channel from America’s public service broadcaster, PBS, showcasing award-winning American history, science, current affairs, plus arts and culture shows alongside the works of living legend Ken Burns, output is all hand-picked by a British team.
Get More PBS America:
Website: pbsamerica.co.uk Twitter: twitter.com/pbsamerica
Facebook: facebook.com/PBSAmerica Instagram: instagram.com/pbsintheuk Dharma River | Journey Into Buddhism FULL SPECIAL | PBS America
youtu.be/mRNmET5L2GM
Dreams do come true! And so mine begins. I'm writing this en route from Los Angeles to Philly to Zurich to New Delhi to Allahabad!
I have never been to India. Truthfully, I was a little intimidated until a year ago. I felt a deep stirring in my bones: the Motherland was beckoning.
Something inside me shifted, and I was ready to journey to the birthplace of yoga.
A yatra is a "spiritual pilgrimage" to sacred sites such as the confluence of great rivers, the birthplace of deities (devas), magnificent temples [or the enlightenment place of a universal teacher].
For traditional Hindus, the journey itself is as important as the destination. Overcoming the hardships of travel serve as acts of devotion in and of themselves. One is meant to travel barefoot (or in air sandals) and with as few possessions as possible.
(I
did my best, but as a shameless over-packer, I only dream of
minimizing). This is the deepest dive of my life, a perfect pivot point
in my journey through samsara. I empty; I receive.
Bowing
Today, I bow an infinite number of pranams that the path of yoga was bestowed on me.
I bow to my root teacher, Govindas, and all the great ones who have followed.
I bow to all as my continued inspiration and support.
I bow to family, colleagues, and friends who sustain and nurture me.
I bow to all beloveds for opening my heart and showing me the way to love and be loved, to see and be seen.
I bow to the hardships that have passed fertilizing my life.
I bow to Psyche, the depths of which I have only begun to understand.
I bow to the infinite light within us -- within you, me, and all the world.
I bow to the God, Goddess, Spirit, Great One, Universe, Truth our mystery serves.
May we all hear the whisper of Spirit and find the courage to answer Her call. Where your heart leads, your joy lives. Join me on Instagram and share the magic of this epic ride.
The European Dharma Yatra (spiritual walk, journey, or pilgrimage) has been going on since 2001. Over 200 people from more than 20 countries worldwide arrive each summer to:
walk through Southern France in silence
camp in a new place each night
explore the Dharma
meditate in the beauty and simplicity of nature
be together as Sangha (community)
In this way our spiritual community walks in the world on an inner spiritual journey. Participate for one or two weeks. Our emphasis is twofold, Dharma and Yatra.
Dancing a jig in the woods Dharma Yatra 2010 (Christopher Titmuss/Flickr)
Dharma includes: regular meditations with instructions and guidance, Dharma teachings via group and individual meetings with teachers, and Dharma discussion and debate.
Yatra includes five hours of silent walking-meditation every day. We walk together on this spiritual journey. The goal of pilgrimage is walking one step at a time, one breath at a time, allowing ourselves greater intimacy with the here-and-now. Contacting the immediacy of life deepens our contact with and understanding of the world around and within us.
KRIPA KRISHNAN MANALI, India (Press Trust of India) - Dressed in their deep red robes, monks and nuns of a 800-year-old Buddhist sect have begun a walking-journey (pad-yatra) to promote environmental conservation and spread awareness about the indis-criminate use of plastics and motor vehicles.
Led by their spiritual leader, the Gyalwang Drukpa, 600 monks are traveling across the snow-clad Himalayas in the month-long "walkathon." It will culminate in the Hemis Festival in Ladakh, India (Hemis Gompa) later next month.
"The journey (yatra) is a way of embracing the 'walking life,' which is beautiful and stress free. Why should we quit walking for cars and helicopters, when they cause so much damage to nature?" the Gyalwang Drukpa asked reporters here before commencing the walkathon on May 25, 2009.
The walkathon is expected to gather more volunteers and fellow Drukpas along the 400-km stretch. The Drukpa leader says he is expecting up to 1,000 followers to join him en route. They will talk to villagers about the environment and also distribute pamphlets and reusable canvas bags.
"We want to spread the message of environmental protection and are not marching for Buddhism. The aim is to interact with people living in the remotest corners of the Himalayas and get to know nature more intimately," the spiritual leader said.
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