(World Travel Guides) A French man journeys to Bhutan to become a Buddhist monk. Buddhism in Bhutan. Vajrayana Buddhism is the most widely practiced religion in Bhutan. It is the state religion of Bhutan, and Buddhists comprise 75% (with Hinduism at 23%) of the population. Although the Buddhism practiced in Bhutan originated in Tibet, it differs significantly in its rituals, liturgy, and monastic organization.
What lifestyle leads to longevity?
The state religion has long been supported financially by the government through annual subsidies to Buddhist monasteries, shrines, monks, and nuns.
In the modern era, support for the state religion during the reign of Jigme Dorji Wangchuck includes the manufacture of 10,000 gilded bronze images of the Buddha, publication of elegant calligraphic editions of the 108-volume Kangyur (Collection of the Words of the Buddha) and 225-volume Tengyur (Collection of Commentaries), and the construction of numerous chorten (stupas) throughout the country. Guaranteed representation in the National Assembly and the Royal Advisory Council, Buddhists constitute the majority of society and are assured an influential voice in public policy. 🔔 @travel-guide
THIS IS LIFE IN BHUTAN: The most isolated country in the world?
(Lifeder) This video embarks on a journey full of charm and mystery through Bhutan, a majestic former kingdom (now a constitutional semi-monarchy) located in the heart of the Himalayas. Its culture is preserved in its purest state due to its geographical isolation and its strong devotion to Buddhist traditions. Get to know what life in Bhutan is like, from the serenity of its ancient Vajrayana Buddhist monasteries to the joy of the colorful festivals. Discover the impressive fortresses called dzongs, silent witnesses of Bhutan's rich history, understand the monarchy and why it stepped aside to invite modernization, as it was formerly an integral part of the country's history, ethnic groups, what the people are like, and much more.
A former Israeli negotiator told Declassified that there needs to be "accountability" for Israel's genocide [war crimes, ethnic cleansing, extermination, Holocaust, and Nakba] in Gaza before serious negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis can take place.
Here's why we have to exterminate ALL Arabs
DC UK spoke to Daniel Levy -- currently director of the U.S./Middle East Project -- just as Donald Trump announced that negotiations for "peace" in Gaza have reached "Phase 2" after an exchange of Palestinian and Israeli captives took place this week.
Levy also said that Trump's peace summit and possible appointment of England's Tony Blair as administrator in Gaza are distractions designed to sideline the popular movements against the genocide.
China’s electric cars are SHOCKING! 🇨🇳 Visit to Guangzhou
(Nahana) CHINA. It’s my first time in Guangzhou — one of China’s fastest-growing megacities — and it’s immediately clear why this city is at the heart of the global EV (electric vehicle) revolution. Companies like BYD, XPeng, and NIO are building smart, affordable electric cars at a scale Elon Musk and the West can’t match. Cities like Guangzhou, once known for its pollution, are showing what the future of mobility, tech, and urban life actually looks like. In fact, many of Tesla’s biggest rivals are right here, and they’re already outselling Tesla in some markets. This video goes straight into the heart of China’s EV boom to show what it’s really like on the ground in the world’s most important EV market.
Shocking Chinese AI robot: In the World’s Strangest City (Chongqing)
(Joe HaTTab) Inside China’s biggest and strangest city – Chongqing! Welcome to the largest city you’ve never heard of…and easily the strangest. Explore rooftop gas stations, bridges that pass through buildings, floating restaurants, and buses driving high in the sky.
🌆 Plus: Ride the deepest metro station in the world, and watch as a robotic waiter serves food at a hotpot restaurant. #Chongqing #China #RoboticWaiter #DeepestMetro #SmartCity #Hotpot #FutureCity #TravelVlog
Thanks for watching and remember to like, comment, and subscribe for more travel content. #ChinaEV #Guangzhou #BYD #Tesla #ElectricCars #TechInChina #EVRevolution #ChinaCarIndustry #FutureCities #Xpeng #china #guangzhou #chinadrone #chinacities TAGS: 10K EV, Chinese EVs, EV Revolution, Tech in China, Smart Cities, Future of Transportation, EV vs Tesla, Tesla China, BYD vs Tesla, XPeng vs Tesla, NIO vs Tesla, China Tech, China Megacity, Affordable EVs, China’s EV Boom
Joe HaTTab, June 1, 2025; Nahana, Oct. 4, 2025: CC Liu, Crystal Q., Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
"We don't need to look outside of the present moment to find inner peace and contentment; when experienced with awareness, everything becomes a source of joy." — Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
At the heart of the Tergar meditation tradition lies the retreat experience, which embodies an immersive, experiential approach to learning.
This Joy of Living retreat offers a unique opportunity to create a dedicated personal practice container, while also connecting you with a global community of meditators.
WHY SHOULD I ATTEND?
My bot is training me on how to feel emotions
Gain practical tools to befriend difficult emotions, leading to greater inner peace and compassion for self and others. Participating in these retreats is essential for completing the necessary homework and progressing through the levels of the Joy of Living program. By fully engaging in the retreat experience, one can deepen one's understanding and one's meditation practice in ways that simply can't be achieved through intellectual study alone.
learn about the core principles of doing a retreat
receive live teachings from Tergar Guides on awareness, compassion, and wisdom
get familiar with meditation techniques to help recognize innate awareness, love and compassion, and wisdom
learn how to integrate the teachings in daily life
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS PROGRAM?
Live teachings with Tergar guides
Group meditation practice
Self-guided practice
Gentle movement practice
Q&A with Tergar guides
REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION:
This program is open to everyone.
Optional Personal Retreat Format:
Can I let my ChatGPT bot sit and feel for me?
Some participants may wish to use this retreat as part of a self-guided personal retreat, with a focus on extended daily meditation. For those aiming to complete six or more hours of sitting practice per day, the guided sessions will form part of this total, and one will add one's own independent sitting practice between, before, or after sessions to meet retreat hour goals. During these self-guided periods, one will be on one's own and responsible for structuring practice time.
Can I get access to a recording of this event?
Recordings of teaching sessions will be posted within one week after the end of the last session and will be available for two months.
IMPORTANT DETAILS
Date/Time: October 25-26, 2025.
Please note that this retreat will start an hour earlier than usual. Please see full schedule.
View local times
Registration will close one hour before the event. Full refunds will be given for cancellation requests up to one hour in advance of the event.
Who can attend this event?
This program is open to everyone [who has completed the Joy of Living Level 1].
Translation from English will be offered into Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, and Russian.
Trump gave a good speech, probably the best of his life. Nobel Peace Prize? Why not? War criminal Obama got a preemptive one then lined up war after war for his overseers. Is he a moronic idiot? Maybe. But that seems to work in his favor. He can keep doing his NLP tricks and no one seems to notice or mind, thinking he's just being dumb. All of his arguments are tautologies, not arguments at all, slogans with self-closing loops. Hitler did that.
Reduce anxiety by not worrying. Here's how. - Jimmy Dore keeps it brief: Liar Trump truths it
Trump's audience, which doesn't have the bandwidth to pay that much attention, loves it. It's simple. It's to the point then repeats the point. It doesn't get bogged down with facts or logical thought processes. It's about assumptions and gut feelings, implicit biases and racist/sexist tendencies. Republicans have been said to prefer this over the mealy-mouthed mishmash of Democrats. Only Billy Clinton and B.S. Obama could speak well. And not since Ronnie Reagan has anyone connected with business interests, right wingers, movers and shakers, and the military. (This is not Trump's brainchild; he had a script written for him called Project 2025).
I got money and power. What's next, Mars?
By aligning with multi-billionaire lonE ksuM (Lone Kissum-up?) and his gang of youths with computer skills and prying eyes looking at everyone's private data, he gets to take credit for change, innovation, and disruption of the Swamp. He's been lying about draining it for a long time. Now he's doing something, something insiders have been wanting to do for a long time. Trump is the face of it but not the brains, just like Reagan. And what does the nominal opposition (Left in name only) have? Old man Bernie Sanders who can't afford denture paste. *Exhale* It's pathetic. The party of Pelosi and the Squad's AOC, Waters and Kucinich... Where is Kucinich? Get an elderly caveman with a cane to heckle him at the onset of two hours of coherence, that only seems to have helped Trump. Democrats looking down at their phones in boredom through the address, that was funny. Boo for the Bad Man. Yay for the sign holders? Jimmy Dore, what is your analysis?
Mike Judge (Letterman); Sarah Silverman as Hitler (Conan O'Brien Show); Common Sense News (Beavis & Butthead); Jimmy Dore (TJDS); Pfc. Sandoval, Sheldon S., Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly, March 5, 2025
(Oriental Pearl) Premiered Oct. 9, 2025: TOKYO. Is Japan cooked? I (Oriental Pearl) have seen a lot of changes here in the last few years. And things seem to be getting worse.
(Broke But Rich) Feb. 22, 2025: Dive into the dark side of Japan with us as we explore the world of "standing girls" ("sign girls")—infantilized females who wait in public streets to sell themselves. This isn't the typical nightlife scene. Buddhist Japan’s unique culture -- and attitude towards sex (as with the ancient geisha courtesans) -- has created an unexpected environment where this underground trade operates in plain sight. But why does it happen? And what’s the real story behind these women?
Why a 31-year old Singaporean techie chose the monk's life
(Handful of Leaves) Oct. 14, 2025: Handful of Leaves Podcast. Rich in Buddhist Singapore, from dating girls to reading about Elon Musk to thinking about politics, he was in search of meaning in his early 20s. All that changed when he read about the Buddha and his monastic followers.
Handful of Leaves had the awesome opportunity to speak with noviceSamanera/AnagarikaPhra Ryan before he took full ordination. Here’s his story of becoming a Buddhist monk at the prime of his career in Singapore's tech industry.
This is also how young only son Ryan, with family members of a different religious faith, arrived at this path of Buddhist monasticism. #BuddhistWisdom #MindfulLiving #FaithAndPractice
ABOUT:
Halfway through his university studies, Ryan embarked on a spiritual journey into the deeper meaning of life and found himself drawn towards Buddhism. It was during a silent retreat in the Australian bush at a Theravada monastery, which marked the beginning of an eight-year journey into monkhood. This is his story.
(00:00) – First week as a Buddhist novice (monk-to-be): nervous then relief
(01:30) – Meeting Ajahn Dhammasiha and first retreats
(03:00) – Life as an anagarika and his family’s reaction
(05:00) – Growing up privileged and searching for meaning
(07:05) – Parents’ and friends’ response to his ordination
(09:10) – Luang Por’s [Senior Monk's] teaching: life without mindfulness is crazy
(10:00) – Goal of practice: freeing the mind from clinging/attachment
(11:15) – Wearing the robe [Banner of the Arahants] and facing “imposter syndrome”
(12:09) – Choosing Wat Marp Jan [Monastery] under Luang Por [Ven.] Anan
Special thanks to Handful of Leaves' sponsors:
Buddhist Youth Network, Lim Soon Kiat, Alvin Chan, Tan Key Seng, Soh Hwee Hoon, Geraldine Tay, Venerable You Guang, Wilson Ng, Diga, Joyce, Tan Jia Yee, Joanne, Suñña, Shuo Mei, Arif, Bernice, Wee Teck, Andrew Yam, Kan Rong Hui, Wei Li Quek, Shirley Shen, Ezra, Joanne Chan, Hsien Li Siaw, Gillian Ang, Wang Shiow Mei, Ong Chye Chye, Melvin, Yoke Kuen, Nai Kai Lee, Amelia Toh, Hannah Law, Shin Hui Chong, Dennis Lee
(History But Fast) Originating from ancient cultures and societies, prostitution [trading sex for consideration, usually monetary] has been documented as a defined thing as far back as 2400 B.C. in ancient Mesopotamia, where sacred edicts legitimatized this practice.
Deeply rooted in tradition, culture, and socio-economic dynamics, it grew with civilization, oftentimes blurring lines between religious acceptance and societal norms.
Commerce, slavery, segregation -- various factors intertwined, shaping its complex history. With changing times, the perception and status of prostitution has also metamorphosed, sparking a spectrum of laws, debates, and attitudes around the world.
Let's journey back in time, unraveling the enigmatic roots of sacred prostitution in Sumer as reported in the oldest written work we have, The Epic of Gilgamesh.
Archeologist finds tomb of Gilgamesh in Euphrates
Get Real: Pimps 'n Hoes
On the Block with Pimps and Prostitutes
(Tommy G) Feb. 20, 2024: Patreon Extended Cuts: tommygmcgee. Merch: tommygmcgee.com. Music: Izzy93. My Shorts Channel: @TommyGMcGeeShorts Shot and Edited by @ihatemiguelsierra
Would it be the worst thing to bring back sacred prostitution?
Girls Gone Bible (not Wild)
There is a fascinating little book out there in the world somewhere (and lost in the stacks of the Wisdom Quarterly Library), a pamphlet really, called something like An Experience of Enlightenment. Fascinating title but misleading. First of all, no one gets enlightened.
What happens is that the author recounts the true story of an incident that happened to affluent Westerners, friends dabbling in the occult by having a seance to "communicate with the other side." Sounds ominous, but who wouldn't want to connect to the Other Side, the Twilight Zone, the Shadow World? Sounds scary, but it ended well, not with actual enlightenment but with an experience that was eye opening.
The banana hammock is a popular undergarment
A spirit came through telling them an unbelievable story. They're all Judeo-Christian by tradition so, of course, they don't really care about or believe in religion or spirituality. But then this being, entity, ghost comes through a medium with such a stunning story that it makes them all doubt their secularism. The spirit says that thousands of years ago (~3,000) he used to be a priest in charge of a temple in what is now India, at the sacred confluence of some rivers up north (in the IVC, Gandhara, Scythia region under the Himalayas).
One day a prince is traveling through, and as priest he shows him hospitality. He claps for a temple dancing girl to come out and entertain this guest, this youth, as he is given food and drink. The priest has a crush on this dancing girl, possibly a temple prostitute of some kind or just a veiled sacred Kathak dancer, She immediately falls in love with the youth and he with her. The priest notices and sends her away. But it's too late. They elope. And when the priest, the spirit through the medium, notices, he loses control and kills her. He might have killed the youth, too.
In either case, it's in contradiction to his religion and priestly duties, so when he dies and expects to get into Brahma's heaven for his life of religious devotion to protecting the temple to some god or another, he is unable. Kind Brahma tells him he needs to get their forgiveness. That is, it's not enough that he apologize. That would be easy. It's that they must forgive him. Everyone at the seance table is moved by his testimony and glad he contacted them with this story of past lives, heaven, sin, lust, possessiveness, God, and karma, BUT what's it got to do with them?
Westerners horsing around at an American seance table. That's when he lays down the boom, showing how strange the working-out-of-karma is: Those two people he needs to get the forgiveness from at sitting at the table right now. You're one of them, temple dancing girl being ogled by the priest, and that guy's the former youth.
Would sacred temple prostitution have mitigated this situation? Or is emotional love going to always win out, prompting our craving, longing, and attachment? This poor priest, possessive murderer. This poor frustrated couple, gets reborn to find each other anew, in the holy precincts of a temple to the God, but then this jerk's attachment leads him to a jealous rage that gets people killed and him in 3,000 or more years' worth of trouble, trying to track these two down to get them to understand what happened, accept his apology, and grant their forgiveness so he finally move on and up. Do they grant it?
Readers come a way with a dizzying set of questions about what the Buddha was talking about when he warned about craving, lust, attachment, karma (deeds), thoughts, views, words...and forgiveness (khanti). This is a Western author talking to Westerners. There is no Indian, except what we were before rearising here. Even us, why do we care about spiritual India so much?
Why did Paramahamsa Yogananda claim he found his former students now living in the West, reborn white and prosperous? And they recognized him, were attracted to him, found his Kriya Yoga teaching perfectly in line with the Jesusism and Christianity they were now born into, when even today few people realize the "lost years" of Jesus (Issa) were spent in northern India, at that time culturally Tibet, at Hemis Gompa, where he
studied with Buddhist monks,
met Brahmins,
learned Vedic teachings...
He took all of this back to the West with his Zen-like parables for answers and other oddities, totally unJewish but very much in line with what the Essenes suddenly started to practice in Palestine/Israel out of nowhere, with no predecessor in Jewish texts or customs. The Gnostic texts that talk about the way of the Essenes is very Dharmic and much more Buddhistic, Eastern, and mellow as opposed to anything Abrahamic.
And if we go much further back to the Sumerian roots of Judaism (who took those ancient stories and made them about themselves), to a time before the Jewish priests desecrated "God's House" and turned the temple into a usury-bank for moneychangers, a den of iniquity and hypocrisy, so odious that Saint Issa/Jesus Christ flipped those tables over and chased them out, securing the place for godly things again.
Imagine a temple economy based not on the disgusting ritual slaughter of sacrificial animals and black magic rites of scapegoats and blood atonements to some insane tribal war god demanding the scent of burnt offerings (roasted flesh) wafting up to Him but instead the disgusting ritual prostitution of holy orgasm and sex with respect and not possessiveness and clinging. We could be as bonobos rather than chimps and vicious apes!
This temple economy based on killing animals is exposed in Christspiracy and is just like the ancient Greeks' obsession with dead offerings to their pantheon in Homer's The Odyssey and which even the good Vedas talk about having Brahmin priests do for Brahma or other more sinister spirits, godlings, demigods/titans, ogres, reptilians/Draconians, and interlopers (superiors, devas, asuras, yakkhas, nagas, brahmas)
Who knows how the great Sumerians set up a system of sex at church, sex at temple, sex in the holy precincts of houses of worship, devotion, and morality-learning, but it would be great to bring it back.
Whether prostitution is ultimately good or bad, no one can question how bad it is in current practice -- full of condemnation, shame, drug abuse, exploitation, pimps, madams, abusive boyfriends, lack of agency and advancement. Sex work could be a positive thing. It's going to be a thing anyway.
Look at the bonobos, chimps, gorillas, monkey, macaques, orangutans, and other primates, they use sex the way humans do. And to say we don't is willful ignorance, foolishly dismissing what anyone can see.
History But Fast, March 9, 2024; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly, orig. 3/27/24
JimmyDore.com exposes Dr. Anthony Fauci, MD, who someway, somehow isn't in prison for lying to Congress, as Sen. Rand has shown, and committing crimes against humanity for profit. Capitalism and healthcare go well together. The good doctor has no interest in anything but making us all healthy since his work with AIDs and all the trouble he got in at that time.
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