The Earth shines in time lapse footage from space (ABC News)
The strangeness of space from the view of Earth
Showing posts with label earth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label earth. Show all posts
Monday, November 14, 2011
Earth beautiful in spite of police states (video)
The Earth shines in time lapse footage from space (ABC News)
The strangeness of space from the view of Earth
Saturday, October 29, 2011
The Parable of the Sacred Grove
Xia on the true meaning of sangha (TempleoftheGoddess.org)
(shinra-sanne.deviantart.com)
A solitary man journeyed about the world. When he met others on the road, he looked down, grunted a passing greeting, hunched his shoulders, and continued on his way.
In each village he passed, he saw the people gathering beneath the trees, the "Sacred Groves" they called them. They entered the wood by twos, threes, sometimes alone. They danced, sang, laughed, ate, and watched the cycles of the Moon together.
The man wondered what it would be like to walk beneath those trees. Each time he passed their wood, he wondered if the people would welcome him or turn him away.
He wondered why they met in their Sacred Groves, beneath the trees, instead of the village square. He wondered what drew them to those places. But the man never went into the woods. Having decided long ago that he needed no one, he walked alone. It was better that way. Still, he wondered. More
(shinra-sanne.deviantart.com)
A solitary man journeyed about the world. When he met others on the road, he looked down, grunted a passing greeting, hunched his shoulders, and continued on his way.In each village he passed, he saw the people gathering beneath the trees, the "Sacred Groves" they called them. They entered the wood by twos, threes, sometimes alone. They danced, sang, laughed, ate, and watched the cycles of the Moon together.
The man wondered what it would be like to walk beneath those trees. Each time he passed their wood, he wondered if the people would welcome him or turn him away.
He wondered why they met in their Sacred Groves, beneath the trees, instead of the village square. He wondered what drew them to those places. But the man never went into the woods. Having decided long ago that he needed no one, he walked alone. It was better that way. Still, he wondered. More
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Flying over the Earth (video)
Time-lapse from the Int'l Space Station as it orbits the planet at night (Yesterday2221
It begins over the Pacific Ocean and continues over North and South America before entering daylight near Antarctica. Visible cities, countries, and landmarks include (in order):
Vancouver Island, Victoria, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, cities in Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico including Mexico City and the Gulf of Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula, El Salvador, lightning over the Pacific Ocean, Guatemala, Panama, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Lake Titicaca, and the Amazon.
"The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart" - fake Buddha quote
Also visible is the Earth's ionosphere (thin yellow line), a satellite (at 55 seconds), and galactic stars. Smooth version, 25 FPS version, raw data was downloaded from The Gateway To Astronaut Photography of Earth. Virtualdub was used to create the final movie. More beautiful images of the universe at infinity-imagined.tumblr.com. How big is the universe?
It begins over the Pacific Ocean and continues over North and South America before entering daylight near Antarctica. Visible cities, countries, and landmarks include (in order): "The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart" - fake Buddha quoteAlso visible is the Earth's ionosphere (thin yellow line), a satellite (at 55 seconds), and galactic stars. Smooth version, 25 FPS version, raw data was downloaded from The Gateway To Astronaut Photography of Earth. Virtualdub was used to create the final movie. More beautiful images of the universe at infinity-imagined.tumblr.com. How big is the universe?
Monday, September 5, 2011
The Exposition of the Elements (Nirvana)
Wisdom Quarterly translation by Seven (Dhatuvibhanga sutra MN 140) guided by the Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi translation
1. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Buddha was wandering in the Magadhan country. He eventually arrived at Rājagaha. And there he went to the potter Bhaggava and said to him:
2. “Bhaggava, if it is not inconvenient for you, I will stay one night in your workshop.” [This is a customary practice of wandering mendicants in India when they want lodging.]
“Venerable sir, it is not inconvenient for me. But there is a wanderer [homeless one, a spiritual mendicant] already staying there. If he agrees, venerable sir, then stay as long as you like.”
3. Now there was clansman [a fellow from the vicinity of the Buddha's birthplace] named Pukkusāti who had gone forth from the home life into homelessness out of confidence in the Buddha [without ever having met him].
- [Pukkusāti was a warrior-caste king who had recently renounced his riches because his friend told him of the Buddha's virtues, teachings, and their benefits. That friend was King Bimbisara, the ruler of a distant country and one of the Buddha's greatest supporters. King Bimbisara ruled Magadha, the capital of which was Rajagaha, where Pukkusati was headed.]
On that occasion, he was already staying in the potter’s workshop. Then the Buddha went to Ven. Pukkusāti and said to him: “If it is not inconvenient for you, monastic (bhikkhu), I will stay one night in the workshop.”
“Friend, the potter’s workshop is large enough. Let the venerable one stay as long as he likes.”
4. Then the Blessed One entered the potter’s workshop, prepared a spread of grass [as a meditation cushion] at one end, and sat down. He folded his legs crosswise, setting his body erect, and established mindfulness in front of him.
Then the Buddha spent most of the night in seated meditation, and Ven. Pukkusāti also spent most of the night that way. Then the Buddha thought: “This clansman conducts himself in a way that inspires confidence. Suppose I were to question him.” So he asked Ven. Pukkusāti:
Buddha statue, Tashilhumpo Monastery, Shigatse, Tibet (Erwin1964/Flickr)
4. Then the Blessed One entered the potter’s workshop, prepared a spread of grass [as a meditation cushion] at one end, and sat down. He folded his legs crosswise, setting his body erect, and established mindfulness in front of him.
Then the Buddha spent most of the night in seated meditation, and Ven. Pukkusāti also spent most of the night that way. Then the Buddha thought: “This clansman conducts himself in a way that inspires confidence. Suppose I were to question him.” So he asked Ven. Pukkusāti:
Buddha statue, Tashilhumpo Monastery, Shigatse, Tibet (Erwin1964/Flickr)Who Is Your Teacher?
5. “Under whom have you gone forth, monastic? Who is your teacher? Whose doctrine (dharma) do you profess?”
“Friend, there is the recluse Gautama, the son of the Sakyans who went forth from a Sakyan clan. Now a good report of that Blessed Gautama has been spread to this effect:
- ‘That Blessed One is accomplished, fully enlightened, perfect in true knowledge and conduct, sublime, knower of worlds, incomparable leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, enlightened, fortunate.’
of that Blessed One.” [Without realizing it, of course, he was referring to the Buddha.]
Where Is Your Teacher?
“But, monastic, where is that Blessed One, accomplished and fully enlightened, now living?”
“Friend, there is a city in the northern country named Sāvatthī. The Blessed One, accomplished and fully enlightened, is now living there.”
“But, monastic, have you ever seen that Blessed One before? Would you recognize him if you saw him?”
“No, friend, I have never seen that Blessed One before, nor would I recognize him if I saw him.”
6. Then the Buddha thought: “This clansman has gone forth from the home life into homelessness under me. Suppose I were to teach him the Dharma.”
(equilibriumchemistry11 blog)
The Buddha Teaches the Elements-of-Being
So the Buddha addressed Ven. Pukkusāti thus: “Monastic, I will teach you the Dharma. Listen and attend closely to what I shall say.”
“Yes, friend,” Ven. Pukkusāti replied, and then the Buddha said:
“No, friend, I have never seen that Blessed One before, nor would I recognize him if I saw him.”
6. Then the Buddha thought: “This clansman has gone forth from the home life into homelessness under me. Suppose I were to teach him the Dharma.”
(equilibriumchemistry11 blog)The Buddha Teaches the Elements-of-Being
So the Buddha addressed Ven. Pukkusāti thus: “Monastic, I will teach you the Dharma. Listen and attend closely to what I shall say.”
“Yes, friend,” Ven. Pukkusāti replied, and then the Buddha said:
7. “Monastic, this person consists of six elements, six bases of contact, 18 kinds of mental exploration, and has four foundations.
The tides of conceiving do not sweep over one who stands on these [foundations]. And when the tides of conceiving no longer sweep over him he is called a sage at peace. One should [for the sake of freedom and happiness] pursue wisdom, preserve truth, cultivate relinquishment, and train for peace. This is the summary of the exposition of the six elements.
The tides of conceiving do not sweep over one who stands on these [foundations]. And when the tides of conceiving no longer sweep over him he is called a sage at peace. One should [for the sake of freedom and happiness] pursue wisdom, preserve truth, cultivate relinquishment, and train for peace. This is the summary of the exposition of the six elements.
8. “‘Monastic, this person consists of six elements.’ So it was said. With reference to what was this said?
There is the earth element, water element, fire element, air element, space element, and the consciousness element. It was said with reference to these.
9. “‘Monastic, this person consists of six bases of contact.’ So it was said. With reference to what was this said? There is the base of eye-contact, base of ear-contact, base of nose-contact, base of tongue-contact, base of body-contact, and the base of mind-contact. It was said with reference to these.
10. “‘Monastic, this person consists of 18 kinds of mental exploration.’ So it was said. With reference to what was this said? On seeing a form with the eye, one explores a form productive of joy [pleasant sensation], one explores a form productive of grief [unpleasant sensation], one explores a form productive of equanimity [neutral sensation].
On hearing a sound with the ear… smelling an odor with the nose… tasting a flavor with the tongue… touching a tangible with the body… cognizing a mind-object with the mind, one explores a mind-object productive of joy, one explores a mind-object productive of grief, one explores a mind-object productive of equanimity.
So it was with reference to these that it was said: ‘Monastic, this person consists of 18 kinds of mental exploration.’
Four Foundations
11. “‘Monastic, this person has four foundations.’ So it was said. With reference to what? There are these foundations:
13. “How, monastic, does one pursue [not neglect] wisdom? There are these six [aforementioned] elements.
Earth Element
14. “What is the earth element? It is either internal or external. What is the internal? Whatever, belonging to oneself, is solid, tangible, and clung-to -- that is, head-hairs, body-hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone-marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, contents of the stomach, feces, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is solid, solidified, and clung-to -- is called the internal earth element.
“Now both the internal and the external earth element are simply earth element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted [disillusioned] with the earth element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward earth [does not cling to it].
Water Element
15. “What is the water element? It is either internal or external. Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is fluid, liquid, and clung-to -- that is, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, spittle, snot, oil-of-the-joints, urine, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is fluid, liquid, and clung-to -- is called the internal water element.
“Now both the internal and the external are simply water element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the water element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward water [does not cling to it].
Fire Element
16. “What is the fire element? It is either internal or external. Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is fire [related to temperature, whether cold or hot], ripening [breaking down], and clung-to -- that is, that by which one is warmed, ages, and is consumed, and that by which what is eaten, drunk, consumed, and tasted gets completely digested, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is fire, ripening, and clung-to -- is called the internal fire element.
“Now both the internal and the external are simply fire element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the fire element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward fire [does not cling to it].
Air Element
17. “What is the air element? It may be either internal or external. Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is air [various qualities that allow for movement, support, etc.], gaseous, and clung-to -- that is, up-going winds, down-going winds, winds in the belly, winds in the bowels, winds that course through the limbs [that, ultimately, make movement possible], in-breath and out-breath, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is air, airy, and clung-to -- is called the internal air element.
“Now both the internal and the external are simply air element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the air element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward air [does not cling to it].
Space Element
18. “What is the space element? It may be either internal or external. Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is space [delimiting solids], open, and clung-to -- that is, the openings of the ears, the nostrils, the door of the mouth, and those openings whereby what is eaten, drunk, consumed, and tasted gets swallowed, and where they collect, and whereby they are excreted from below, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is space, open, and clung-to -- is called the internal space element.
“Now both the internal and the external are simply space element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the space element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward space.
Consciousness
19. “Then there remains only consciousness, purified and bright [naturally luminous]. What does one cognize with that consciousness?
“One cognizes: ‘[This is] pleasant’; one cognizes: ‘[This is] painful’; one cognizes: ‘[This is] neither-painful-nor-pleasant [neutral].’
“In dependence on a contact to be felt as pleasant there arises a pleasant feeling. When one feels a pleasant feeling, one understands: ‘I feel a pleasant feeling.’
“One further understands: ‘With the cessation of that same contact to be felt as pleasant, its corresponding feeling -- the pleasant feeling that arose in dependence on that contact -- ceases and subsides.’
“In dependence on a contact to be felt as painful there arises a painful feeling....
“In dependence on a contact to be felt as neither-painful-nor-pleasant there arises a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling....
“Just as from contact and friction between two fire-sticks heat is generated and fire is produced -- and with the separation of the fire-sticks, the corresponding heat ceases and subsides -- so too, in dependence on a contact… to be felt as painful… to be felt as neither-painful-nor-pleasant there arises a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling… One understands: ‘With the cessation of that same contact... [and] its corresponding feeling… ceases and subsides.’
Equanimity
20. “Then there remains only equanimity, purified and bright, malleable, wieldy, and radiant. Suppose a skilled goldsmith or an apprentice were to prepare a furnace, heat a crucible, grasp gold with tongs, and put it into the crucible.
“From time to time he would blow on it. From time to time he would sprinkle water on it. And from time to time he would just look on. [In this way] that gold would become refined, well refined, completely refined, faultless, rid of dross, malleable, wieldy, and radiant.
“Then whatever kind of ornament he wished to make, whether a golden chain or earrings or a necklace or a golden garland, it would serve this purpose.
“So, too, there remains only equanimity, purified and bright, malleable, wieldy, and radiant.
21. “One understands: ‘If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified and bright, to the base of boundless space and to develop my mind accordingly, then this equanimity of mine, supported by that base, clinging to it, would remain for a very long time.
“If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified and bright, to the base of boundless consciousness… to the base of nothingness… to the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception and to develop my mind accordingly, then this equanimity of mine, supported by that base, clinging to it, would remain for a very long time.’
22. “One understands: ‘If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified and bright, to the base of boundless space and to develop my mind accordingly, this would be conditioned [dependent on conditions, arising in complete dependence on conditions].
“If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified and bright, to the base of boundless consciousness… to the base of nothingness… to the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception and to develop my mind accordingly, this would be conditioned.’
Nirvana (the Unconditioned Element)
“One does not form any condition or generate any volition tending toward either being or non-being. Since one does not form any condition or generate any volition tending toward either being or non-being, one does not cling to anything in this world.
“When one does not cling, one is not agitated. When one is not agitated, one personally experiences nirvana.
“One understands: ‘Birth is destroyed, the high life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state.’
23. “If one feels [experiences] a pleasant feeling, one understands: ‘It is impermanent; there is no holding on to it; there is no delight in it.’
“If he feels a painful feeling, one understands: ‘It is impermanent; there is no holding on to it; there is no delight in it.’
“If one feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, one understands: ‘It is impermanent; there is no holding on to it; there is no delight in it.’
24. “If one feels a pleasant feeling, one feels it detached; if one feels a painful feeling, one feels it detached; if one feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, one feels it detached.
“When one feels a feeling terminating with the body, one understands: ‘I feel a feeling terminating with the body.’ When one feels a feeling terminating with life, one understands: ‘I feel a feeling terminating with life.’
“One understands: ‘On the dissolution of the body, with the ending of life, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool [nirvanered because nirvana is not a thing or place but a quenching, a cooling, a slaking, a fading, a going out, an ending of all suffering] right here.’
“Just as an oil-lamp [with an ultimately illusory flame] burns in dependence on oil and a wick, and when the oil and wick are used up, if it does not get any more fuel, it is extinguished from lack of fuel. So, too, when one feels a feeling terminating with the body… a feeling terminating with life, one understands: ‘I feel a feeling terminating with life.’
“One understands: ‘On the dissolution of the body, with the ending of life, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool right here.’
25. “Therefore a practitioner possessing [this wisdom] possesses the supreme foundation of wisdom. For this is the supreme noble wisdom, namely, the knowledge of the destruction of all suffering.
26. “One's deliverance, being founded upon truth, is unshakable. For that is false which has a deceptive nature, and that is true which has an undeceptive nature -- nirvana.
“Therefore a practitioner possessing [this truth] possesses the supreme foundation of truth. For this is the supreme noble truth, namely, nirvana, which has an undeceptive nature.
Complete Freedom
27. “Formerly, when one was ignorant, one undertook and accepted acquisitions [grasped at things one mistook as I, me, or mine]. Now one has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump [which will not regenerate, unlike other trees which with roots intact will grow again], done away with them so that they are no longer subject to arising in the future.
“Therefore a practitioner possessing [this relinquishment] possesses the supreme foundation of relinquishment. For this is the supreme noble relinquishment, namely, the relinquishing [abandoning] of all acquisitions.
28. “Formerly, when one was ignorant, one experienced covetousness [greed], desire, and lust. Now one has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, done away with them so that they are no longer subject to arising in the future.
“Formerly, when one was ignorant, one experienced anger, ill will, and hate. Now one has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, done away with them so that they are no longer subject to arising in the future.
“Formerly, when one was ignorant, one experienced ignorance and delusion [with regard to the Four Noble Truths and complete liberation from suffering]. Now one has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, done away with them so that they are no longer subject to arising in the future.
Peace
“Therefore a practitioner possessing [this peace] possesses the supreme foundation of peace. For this is the supreme noble peace, namely, the pacification [appeasing] of lust, hate, and delusion.
29. “So it was with reference to this that it was said: ‘One should [for the sake of freedom and happiness] pursue wisdom, preserve truth, cultivate relinquishment, and train for peace.’
30. “‘The tides of conceiving do not sweep over one who stands on these [foundations]. And when the tides of conceiving no longer sweep over one, that person is called a sage at peace.’ So it was said. With reference to what was this said?
Conceiving
31. “Monastic, ‘I am’ is a conceiving;
“And the sage at peace is not reborn, does not age, does not die; one is not shaken and is not agitated. For [what can upset as is asked in the Heart Sutra] there is nothing present in one by which one might be reborn.
“Not being reborn, how could one age? Not aging, how could one die? Not dying, how could one be shaken? Not being shaken, why should one be agitated?
32. “So it was with reference to this that it was said: ‘The tides of conceiving do not sweep over one who stands on these [foundations]. And when the tides of conceiving no longer sweep over one, that person is called a sage at peace.’
“Monastic, bear in mind this brief exposition of the six elements.”
33. Thereupon, Ven. Pukkusāti thought: “Indeed, the Teacher has come to me! The Sublime One has come to me! The Fully Enlightened One has come to me!”
Then he rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and prostrating himself with his head at the Buddha’s feet [all customary marks of respect in ancient India], he said:
“Venerable sir, a transgression overcame me, in that foolishly, confused and blundering, I presumed to address the Blessed One as ‘friend.’ Venerable sir, may the Blessed One forgive my transgression seen as such for the sake of restraint in the future.”
“Surely, monastic, a transgression overcame you, in that foolishly, confused and blundering, you presumed to address me as ‘friend.’ But since you see your transgression as such and make amends in accordance with the Dharma [Doctrine and Discipline], it is forgiven. For it is growth in the Noble One’s Discipline when one sees one’s transgression as such, makes amends in accordance with the Dharma, and undertakes restraint in the future.”
34. “Venerable sir, I would receive the full admission [which would make Pukkusati not a monastic, as the Buddha has been addressing him, but an Indian sannyasi or a Buddhist novice at best] under the Blessed One.”
“But are your bowl and robes complete, monastic?”
“Venerable sir, my bowl and robes are not complete.”
“Monastic, Tathāgatas [Buddhas] do not give the full admission to anyone whose bowl and robes are not complete.”
35. Then Ven. Pukkusāti, having delighted and rejoiced in the Buddha’s words, rose from his seat. And after paying homage to the Buddha and keeping him on his right [more signs of respect], he departed search of bowl and robes.
But while he was searching for bowl and robes, a stray cow killed him.
36. Then a number of monastics went to the Buddha. And after paying their respects to him, they sat down at one side and told him: “Venerable sir, the clansman Pukkusāti, who was given brief instruction by the Blessed One, has died. What is his destination? What is his future course [of rebirth]?”
“Monastics, the clansman Pukkusāti was wise. He practiced in accordance with the Dharma and did not trouble me in the interpretation of the Dharma. With the destruction of the five lower fetters, the clansman Pukkusāti has reappeared spontaneously [in the Pure Abodes] and will attain final nirvana there without ever returning from that world.”
That is what the Enlightened One said. The monastics were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.
9. “‘Monastic, this person consists of six bases of contact.’ So it was said. With reference to what was this said? There is the base of eye-contact, base of ear-contact, base of nose-contact, base of tongue-contact, base of body-contact, and the base of mind-contact. It was said with reference to these.
10. “‘Monastic, this person consists of 18 kinds of mental exploration.’ So it was said. With reference to what was this said? On seeing a form with the eye, one explores a form productive of joy [pleasant sensation], one explores a form productive of grief [unpleasant sensation], one explores a form productive of equanimity [neutral sensation].
On hearing a sound with the ear… smelling an odor with the nose… tasting a flavor with the tongue… touching a tangible with the body… cognizing a mind-object with the mind, one explores a mind-object productive of joy, one explores a mind-object productive of grief, one explores a mind-object productive of equanimity.
So it was with reference to these that it was said: ‘Monastic, this person consists of 18 kinds of mental exploration.’
Four Foundations
11. “‘Monastic, this person has four foundations.’ So it was said. With reference to what? There are these foundations:
- wisdom
- truth
- relinquishment
- peace
13. “How, monastic, does one pursue [not neglect] wisdom? There are these six [aforementioned] elements.
Earth Element
14. “What is the earth element? It is either internal or external. What is the internal? Whatever, belonging to oneself, is solid, tangible, and clung-to -- that is, head-hairs, body-hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone-marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, contents of the stomach, feces, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is solid, solidified, and clung-to -- is called the internal earth element.“Now both the internal and the external earth element are simply earth element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted [disillusioned] with the earth element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward earth [does not cling to it].
Water Element
15. “What is the water element? It is either internal or external. Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is fluid, liquid, and clung-to -- that is, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, spittle, snot, oil-of-the-joints, urine, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is fluid, liquid, and clung-to -- is called the internal water element.“Now both the internal and the external are simply water element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the water element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward water [does not cling to it].
Fire Element
16. “What is the fire element? It is either internal or external. Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is fire [related to temperature, whether cold or hot], ripening [breaking down], and clung-to -- that is, that by which one is warmed, ages, and is consumed, and that by which what is eaten, drunk, consumed, and tasted gets completely digested, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is fire, ripening, and clung-to -- is called the internal fire element.“Now both the internal and the external are simply fire element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the fire element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward fire [does not cling to it].
Air Element
17. “What is the air element? It may be either internal or external. Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is air [various qualities that allow for movement, support, etc.], gaseous, and clung-to -- that is, up-going winds, down-going winds, winds in the belly, winds in the bowels, winds that course through the limbs [that, ultimately, make movement possible], in-breath and out-breath, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is air, airy, and clung-to -- is called the internal air element.“Now both the internal and the external are simply air element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the air element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward air [does not cling to it].
Space Element
18. “What is the space element? It may be either internal or external. Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is space [delimiting solids], open, and clung-to -- that is, the openings of the ears, the nostrils, the door of the mouth, and those openings whereby what is eaten, drunk, consumed, and tasted gets swallowed, and where they collect, and whereby they are excreted from below, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is space, open, and clung-to -- is called the internal space element.
“Now both the internal and the external are simply space element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the space element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward space.
Consciousness
19. “Then there remains only consciousness, purified and bright [naturally luminous]. What does one cognize with that consciousness?
“One cognizes: ‘[This is] pleasant’; one cognizes: ‘[This is] painful’; one cognizes: ‘[This is] neither-painful-nor-pleasant [neutral].’
“In dependence on a contact to be felt as pleasant there arises a pleasant feeling. When one feels a pleasant feeling, one understands: ‘I feel a pleasant feeling.’
“One further understands: ‘With the cessation of that same contact to be felt as pleasant, its corresponding feeling -- the pleasant feeling that arose in dependence on that contact -- ceases and subsides.’
“In dependence on a contact to be felt as painful there arises a painful feeling....
“In dependence on a contact to be felt as neither-painful-nor-pleasant there arises a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling....
“Just as from contact and friction between two fire-sticks heat is generated and fire is produced -- and with the separation of the fire-sticks, the corresponding heat ceases and subsides -- so too, in dependence on a contact… to be felt as painful… to be felt as neither-painful-nor-pleasant there arises a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling… One understands: ‘With the cessation of that same contact... [and] its corresponding feeling… ceases and subsides.’
Equanimity
20. “Then there remains only equanimity, purified and bright, malleable, wieldy, and radiant. Suppose a skilled goldsmith or an apprentice were to prepare a furnace, heat a crucible, grasp gold with tongs, and put it into the crucible.
“From time to time he would blow on it. From time to time he would sprinkle water on it. And from time to time he would just look on. [In this way] that gold would become refined, well refined, completely refined, faultless, rid of dross, malleable, wieldy, and radiant.
“Then whatever kind of ornament he wished to make, whether a golden chain or earrings or a necklace or a golden garland, it would serve this purpose.
“So, too, there remains only equanimity, purified and bright, malleable, wieldy, and radiant.
21. “One understands: ‘If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified and bright, to the base of boundless space and to develop my mind accordingly, then this equanimity of mine, supported by that base, clinging to it, would remain for a very long time.
“If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified and bright, to the base of boundless consciousness… to the base of nothingness… to the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception and to develop my mind accordingly, then this equanimity of mine, supported by that base, clinging to it, would remain for a very long time.’
22. “One understands: ‘If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified and bright, to the base of boundless space and to develop my mind accordingly, this would be conditioned [dependent on conditions, arising in complete dependence on conditions].
“If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified and bright, to the base of boundless consciousness… to the base of nothingness… to the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception and to develop my mind accordingly, this would be conditioned.’
Nirvana (the Unconditioned Element)
“One does not form any condition or generate any volition tending toward either being or non-being. Since one does not form any condition or generate any volition tending toward either being or non-being, one does not cling to anything in this world.
“When one does not cling, one is not agitated. When one is not agitated, one personally experiences nirvana.
“One understands: ‘Birth is destroyed, the high life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state.’
23. “If one feels [experiences] a pleasant feeling, one understands: ‘It is impermanent; there is no holding on to it; there is no delight in it.’
“If he feels a painful feeling, one understands: ‘It is impermanent; there is no holding on to it; there is no delight in it.’
“If one feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, one understands: ‘It is impermanent; there is no holding on to it; there is no delight in it.’
24. “If one feels a pleasant feeling, one feels it detached; if one feels a painful feeling, one feels it detached; if one feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, one feels it detached.
“When one feels a feeling terminating with the body, one understands: ‘I feel a feeling terminating with the body.’ When one feels a feeling terminating with life, one understands: ‘I feel a feeling terminating with life.’
“One understands: ‘On the dissolution of the body, with the ending of life, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool [nirvanered because nirvana is not a thing or place but a quenching, a cooling, a slaking, a fading, a going out, an ending of all suffering] right here.’
“Just as an oil-lamp [with an ultimately illusory flame] burns in dependence on oil and a wick, and when the oil and wick are used up, if it does not get any more fuel, it is extinguished from lack of fuel. So, too, when one feels a feeling terminating with the body… a feeling terminating with life, one understands: ‘I feel a feeling terminating with life.’
“One understands: ‘On the dissolution of the body, with the ending of life, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool right here.’
25. “Therefore a practitioner possessing [this wisdom] possesses the supreme foundation of wisdom. For this is the supreme noble wisdom, namely, the knowledge of the destruction of all suffering.
26. “One's deliverance, being founded upon truth, is unshakable. For that is false which has a deceptive nature, and that is true which has an undeceptive nature -- nirvana.
“Therefore a practitioner possessing [this truth] possesses the supreme foundation of truth. For this is the supreme noble truth, namely, nirvana, which has an undeceptive nature.
Complete Freedom
27. “Formerly, when one was ignorant, one undertook and accepted acquisitions [grasped at things one mistook as I, me, or mine]. Now one has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump [which will not regenerate, unlike other trees which with roots intact will grow again], done away with them so that they are no longer subject to arising in the future.
“Therefore a practitioner possessing [this relinquishment] possesses the supreme foundation of relinquishment. For this is the supreme noble relinquishment, namely, the relinquishing [abandoning] of all acquisitions.
28. “Formerly, when one was ignorant, one experienced covetousness [greed], desire, and lust. Now one has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, done away with them so that they are no longer subject to arising in the future.
“Formerly, when one was ignorant, one experienced anger, ill will, and hate. Now one has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, done away with them so that they are no longer subject to arising in the future.
“Formerly, when one was ignorant, one experienced ignorance and delusion [with regard to the Four Noble Truths and complete liberation from suffering]. Now one has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, done away with them so that they are no longer subject to arising in the future.
Peace
“Therefore a practitioner possessing [this peace] possesses the supreme foundation of peace. For this is the supreme noble peace, namely, the pacification [appeasing] of lust, hate, and delusion.
29. “So it was with reference to this that it was said: ‘One should [for the sake of freedom and happiness] pursue wisdom, preserve truth, cultivate relinquishment, and train for peace.’
30. “‘The tides of conceiving do not sweep over one who stands on these [foundations]. And when the tides of conceiving no longer sweep over one, that person is called a sage at peace.’ So it was said. With reference to what was this said?
Conceiving
31. “Monastic, ‘I am’ is a conceiving;
- ‘I am this’ is a conceiving;
- ‘I shall be’ is a conceiving;
- ‘I shall not be’ is a conceiving;
- ‘I shall be possessed of form’ is a conceiving;
- ‘I shall be formless’ [on a formless plane of existence] is a conceiving;
- ‘I shall be percipient’ is a conceiving;
- ‘I shall be non-percipient’ [on an unconscious plane of existence] is a conceiving;
- ‘I shall be neither-percipient-nor-non-percipient’ is a conceiving.
“And the sage at peace is not reborn, does not age, does not die; one is not shaken and is not agitated. For [what can upset as is asked in the Heart Sutra] there is nothing present in one by which one might be reborn.
“Not being reborn, how could one age? Not aging, how could one die? Not dying, how could one be shaken? Not being shaken, why should one be agitated?
32. “So it was with reference to this that it was said: ‘The tides of conceiving do not sweep over one who stands on these [foundations]. And when the tides of conceiving no longer sweep over one, that person is called a sage at peace.’
“Monastic, bear in mind this brief exposition of the six elements.”
33. Thereupon, Ven. Pukkusāti thought: “Indeed, the Teacher has come to me! The Sublime One has come to me! The Fully Enlightened One has come to me!”
Then he rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and prostrating himself with his head at the Buddha’s feet [all customary marks of respect in ancient India], he said:
“Venerable sir, a transgression overcame me, in that foolishly, confused and blundering, I presumed to address the Blessed One as ‘friend.’ Venerable sir, may the Blessed One forgive my transgression seen as such for the sake of restraint in the future.”
“Surely, monastic, a transgression overcame you, in that foolishly, confused and blundering, you presumed to address me as ‘friend.’ But since you see your transgression as such and make amends in accordance with the Dharma [Doctrine and Discipline], it is forgiven. For it is growth in the Noble One’s Discipline when one sees one’s transgression as such, makes amends in accordance with the Dharma, and undertakes restraint in the future.”
34. “Venerable sir, I would receive the full admission [which would make Pukkusati not a monastic, as the Buddha has been addressing him, but an Indian sannyasi or a Buddhist novice at best] under the Blessed One.”
“But are your bowl and robes complete, monastic?”
“Venerable sir, my bowl and robes are not complete.”
“Monastic, Tathāgatas [Buddhas] do not give the full admission to anyone whose bowl and robes are not complete.”
35. Then Ven. Pukkusāti, having delighted and rejoiced in the Buddha’s words, rose from his seat. And after paying homage to the Buddha and keeping him on his right [more signs of respect], he departed search of bowl and robes.
But while he was searching for bowl and robes, a stray cow killed him.
36. Then a number of monastics went to the Buddha. And after paying their respects to him, they sat down at one side and told him: “Venerable sir, the clansman Pukkusāti, who was given brief instruction by the Blessed One, has died. What is his destination? What is his future course [of rebirth]?”
“Monastics, the clansman Pukkusāti was wise. He practiced in accordance with the Dharma and did not trouble me in the interpretation of the Dharma. With the destruction of the five lower fetters, the clansman Pukkusāti has reappeared spontaneously [in the Pure Abodes] and will attain final nirvana there without ever returning from that world.”That is what the Enlightened One said. The monastics were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Forbidden Archeology: Hidden Human History
mcremo.com
Where did we humans come from? What is the real history of humankind? Michael A. Cremo and Richard L. Thompson challenge the prevailing theory of Darwinian evolution with their groundbreaking work Forbidden Archeology: The Hidden History of the Human Race. It was first released in 1993 and quickly became an underground classic. Today it is a bestseller, with foreign editions in over 20 languages, presenting both accepted and anomalous scientific evidence defying traditional ideas concerning human evolution. Exploring this field is a fascinating intellectual excavation of a vast store of hidden knowledge.
Where did we humans come from? What is the real history of humankind? Michael A. Cremo and Richard L. Thompson challenge the prevailing theory of Darwinian evolution with their groundbreaking work Forbidden Archeology: The Hidden History of the Human Race. It was first released in 1993 and quickly became an underground classic. Today it is a bestseller, with foreign editions in over 20 languages, presenting both accepted and anomalous scientific evidence defying traditional ideas concerning human evolution. Exploring this field is a fascinating intellectual excavation of a vast store of hidden knowledge.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Forbidden Archeology (video)
(forbiddenarcheology.com)
(July 4, 2011) On the cutting edge of science and culture issues, dissident intellectual Michael Cremo will appear on Coast to Coast for a radio interview discussing his continuing work in the field of forbidden archeology -- looking at human origins including artifacts and discoveries that do not fit into conventional time lines and theories promoted by academic and scientific circles.
Vedic/Indian Time Scales
Michael Cremo
What does Krishna mean by the beginning of creation? According to the Puranas (Vedic histories), there have been innumerable "creations" in the course of cyclical time.
The basic unit of Vedic cyclical time is the day of Brahma, which lasts 4.32 billion years. The day of Brahma (which Buddhism and other Indian traditions call a kalpa) is followed by a night of Brahma, also lasting 4.32 billion years.
The cycle of days and nights of Brahma goes on for Brahma's lifetime of one hundred years (36,000 nights), equivalent to 311.04 trillion human years. During the day of Brahma, life, including human life, is manifest. During the night of Brahma, it is not. More
(July 4, 2011) On the cutting edge of science and culture issues, dissident intellectual Michael Cremo will appear on Coast to Coast for a radio interview discussing his continuing work in the field of forbidden archeology -- looking at human origins including artifacts and discoveries that do not fit into conventional time lines and theories promoted by academic and scientific circles. Vedic/Indian Time Scales
Michael Cremo
What does Krishna mean by the beginning of creation? According to the Puranas (Vedic histories), there have been innumerable "creations" in the course of cyclical time.The basic unit of Vedic cyclical time is the day of Brahma, which lasts 4.32 billion years. The day of Brahma (which Buddhism and other Indian traditions call a kalpa) is followed by a night of Brahma, also lasting 4.32 billion years.
The cycle of days and nights of Brahma goes on for Brahma's lifetime of one hundred years (36,000 nights), equivalent to 311.04 trillion human years. During the day of Brahma, life, including human life, is manifest. During the night of Brahma, it is not. More
Friday, May 27, 2011
Our Moon is full of water; the Norway Spiral
John Mangels, The Plain Dealer, Cleveland.com, May 26, 2011
Lunar samples show that parts of the Moon's interior are as wet as Earth's, new research shows.
Standing on the lip of the Moon's deep, dark Shorty Crater on Dec. 12, 1972, Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt looked down at his footprint in the dusty soil and did a double-take.
"Oh, hey! Wait a minute..." the usually businesslike Schmitt barked excitedly over the communications link to Mission Control a quarter-million miles away in Houston.
"THERE IS ORANGE SOIL!" he shouted. "It's all over! I stirred it up with my feet!" "Orange! Hey, he's not going out of his wits," fellow Moonwalker Gene Cernan verified.
With their oxygen supply dwindling, the two astronauts hurriedly scooped up and bagged samples of the pumpkin-hued grains for study back on Earth.
As Schmitt, a Harvard-trained geologist, suspected, the orange soil turned out to be an important find -- tiny beads of volcanic glass belched to the moon's surface during a violent eruption more than 3 billion years ago. More
Fukushima worse on sea than Chernobyl on land
(May 26, 2011) [There is a virtual media blackout about the radioactive fallout over the US from Japan.] Today Greenpeace reported that one of its research crews earlier in May 2011 tested water and marine life outside Japan's 12-mile territorial limit beyond Fukushima. Greenpeace radiation expert Jan Vande Putte said in a press release, “Despite what the authorities are claiming, radioactive hazards are not decreasing through dilution or dispersion of materials, but the radioactivity is instead accumulating in marine life.”
Apollo 17 astronaut and geologist Harrison Schmitt collects samples from the moon's Taurus-Littrow valley in December 1972.
Richard C. Hoagland (enterprisemission.com) announced it on Coast to Coast a day in advance: The government has been lying about the Moon for decades. Now his announcement is officially confirmed:
Lunar samples show that parts of the Moon's interior are as wet as Earth's, new research shows.
Standing on the lip of the Moon's deep, dark Shorty Crater on Dec. 12, 1972, Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt looked down at his footprint in the dusty soil and did a double-take.
"Oh, hey! Wait a minute..." the usually businesslike Schmitt barked excitedly over the communications link to Mission Control a quarter-million miles away in Houston.
"THERE IS ORANGE SOIL!" he shouted. "It's all over! I stirred it up with my feet!" "Orange! Hey, he's not going out of his wits," fellow Moonwalker Gene Cernan verified.
With their oxygen supply dwindling, the two astronauts hurriedly scooped up and bagged samples of the pumpkin-hued grains for study back on Earth.
As Schmitt, a Harvard-trained geologist, suspected, the orange soil turned out to be an important find -- tiny beads of volcanic glass belched to the moon's surface during a violent eruption more than 3 billion years ago. More
Fukushima worse on sea than Chernobyl on land
(May 26, 2011) [There is a virtual media blackout about the radioactive fallout over the US from Japan.] Today Greenpeace reported that one of its research crews earlier in May 2011 tested water and marine life outside Japan's 12-mile territorial limit beyond Fukushima. Greenpeace radiation expert Jan Vande Putte said in a press release, “Despite what the authorities are claiming, radioactive hazards are not decreasing through dilution or dispersion of materials, but the radioactivity is instead accumulating in marine life.”- EarthFiles.com: Gulf fish are sick from BP chemicals
- Mysterious leopard shark die off in California (May 27) In April 2011, the California Fish and Game Department and the Pelagic Shark Research Foundation (PSRF) in Santa Cruz and Capitola, California, started getting phone calls about dead leopard sharks washed up on beaches. As reports increased, there seemed to be a pattern of the most deaths occurring in the San Francisco Bay regions of Redwood City, Foster City, Coyote Point, and Richardson Bay on the north side of Sausalito. The California Department of Fish and Game toxicology lab has done some necropsies on the shark bodies and discovered hemorrhaging around the internal organs and inflammation and lesions in the leopard shark brains. But so far no one understands what is killing the sharks.
In the extended pre-dawn darkness over Norway last December, as recounted in Parts I and II of this report, something truly amazing happened over Norway.
Reaction immediately divided into two totally opposing views. On one side are those who bought the official media story, namely, that "it was only another failed Russian missile test." On the other side are those who thought it might be something else this time.
As the Enterprise Mission has previously shown, there can be little doubt at this point that a Russian rocket was involved.
But the conclusion that everyone has jumped to -- with the exception of the Russians themselves -- is that the Russians somehow caused the spiral. But that leap is going too far.
EnterpriseMission.com can now report that the Norway Spiral was NOT primarily caused by "a failed Russian missile test." This is based on analysis of extensive imaging evidence reported via the Norwegian press. More
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The Buddha's Forest Tradition
Wisdom Quarterly
The Buddha lovingly bundled beholding the Himalayas from behind, Ladakh, India
The wonderful thing about Buddhism originally (the Dharma as taught by the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama) is that it was a forest tradition.
Siddhartha left Kapilavastu, the territory of his family, cut off his hair, discarded his fine clothes, crossed the river in a simple garment and went in search of yogis in the wilderness.
He found Alara Kalama and then Uddaka Ramaputra, wandering ascetics who taught him to meditate in the tradition of mental serenity. This led to a great accomplishment -- self control and a clear heart/mind.
But he left it behind as well because he realized that serenity in itself -- even to the tranquil depths of full absorption -- did not lead to final and complete liberation (moksha).
India had found many routes to the heavens. And many seers could see no further than this. Uddaka Ramaputra's teacher, Rama, had reached the zenith of worlds beyond form. But even that was not outside of samsara, the interminable Round of Rebirths.
Leaving behind these great teachers, Siddhartha plunged himself into the forest to practice austerities. Everyone understood that this had to be the way to break free of sensuality, the body, and all its temptations and bonds.
What the Buddha realized is what "everybody" knows now: The body is not to blame, but rather attachment and clinging, which are defilements of the mind/heart. Insight brought Siddhartha to this realization. And that realization made him the Buddha.
Siddhartha did his striving almost exclusively in the quiet and nurturing atmosphere of the forest, attaining buddhahood in a grove of Bo trees (Bodh Gaya).
Legend has it, that on becoming a supremely enligthened teacher (samma-sam-buddha) he remained in the forest, in the vicinity of the Bodhi tree (the sacred and sheltering fig tree), staring at unblinkingly in admiration.
Woodland sprites (fairies, earthbound-devas) had offered to save his life when his fasting had becoming so extreme that he looked dead. "He's dead," one said. The other explained, "No, this is how ascetics behave." "We should feed him deva food through his pores," they concluded.
"No," Siddhartha aware of their conversation said to them, "that won't be necessary. People think that I am fasting, and were I to be living on subtle deva nourishment, it would be deceiving them." But this encouraged Siddhartha to nourish his body with human food.
He came to understand that it was not by rejecting the world and such facts as the constraints of materiality (e.g., the need for nutrition) that one finds freedom. Instead, it is by practicing serenity-and-insight, Zen and Vipassana one can say. The first prepares the mind/heart through concentration (calm, collectedness, intensification, and focus). The other aims the laser singularity of consciousness on mindful contemplation of four things that lead to freedom here and now.
They lead the heart to realize nirvana and the complete end of suffering.
Realizing it and deciding to teach others the path of purification, the path to freedom, he walked to another forest in Sarnath, in a deer park outside of the famous ancient Indian city of Varanasi. There he instructed the first Five Disciples, who had formerly practiced austerities with him trying to reach liberation.
Siddhartha returns to the Five Ascetics as the Buddha and sets rolling in motion the Wheel of the Dharma by teaching them the path to enlightenment (History of Buddhism).
When the Five Ascetics reached enlightenment by hearing the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutra ("Turning the Wheel of Dharma"), the Buddha began a forest tradition of recluses. Whether lay people came to him or wanderers on a quest for enlightenment, the Buddha's essential advice was the same:
"Here in this Dharma (this Teaching), a meditator who has gone to the forest, or to the foot of a tree, or to an empty place, sits down cross legged, holding the back sustainably erect [not too stiff, not too lax], arousing mindfulness in front."
Of course, before there can be real insight into those four things mentioned before, there must be serenity. Mindfulness is not thinking. There is contemplation and reflection and reviewing (anussati), but that occurs as one emerges from the purifying absorptions (jhanas, zens, ch'ans as it were).
To gain concentration (samadhi) to the level of full-absorption one needs mindfulness, which simply means constant-bare-awareness, nonjudgmental attention, non-evaluative holding in consciousness. One avoids two extremes, rigidity and laxity, and balances in the blissful middle, awake but serene.
The Buddha often taught lay people and rulers outside of cities, villages, and hamlets while residing in groves and orchards.
Then the Buddha moved from grove to grove -- bamboo, mango... -- from glade to glade, staying outdoors, enjoying the freedom of the left-home life. He developed a great following. He said the home life was constricted and dusty, but renunciation (which need not mean getting rid of anything but simply letting go of the attachment to everything) was open and free:
- "Household life is crowded, constricting, and dusty! A life gone forth is wide open. While living at home, it is not easy to carry out this noble life utterly perfect and pure as [the milky luminous lustre of a] polished conch shell... But suppose I cut off my hair and beard, don a saffron robe, and go forth from home into homelessness? What if I leave behind my fortune, small or large, leave behind my circle of family and friends, small or large? Then doing so out of verifiable-confidence (saddha) in this Teacher or this Teaching or these well-taught disciples, after past lives of accumulating the right conditions for attaining the expeditious state of a recluse in the Buddha's lineage, surely one has found the surest means of winning the stream that runs towards and merges with the deathless nirvana!"
Before monasteries were built, the Buddha sent his disciples into the forest to live, in no way harming nature, taking their ceramic bowls with them to gather alms food which delighted the people of India to give in a longstanding tradition of dana. After monasteries were built, the Buddha sent his disciples into the forest to practice. Even at the end of his days before his final passing into nirvana without remainder outdoors in a grove between twin Sal trees, he advised his deva and human disciples who had gathered in the tens of thousands (mostly devas):
The Buddha in a bamboo grove, Malaysia(Esani/Flickr.com)If you would maintain in purity the [monastic] precepts, you should not give yourselves over to buying... You should not covet fields or buildings, nor accumulate servants, attendants, or animals. You should flee from all sorts of property and wealth as you would avoid a fire or a pit. You should not cut down grass or trees, neither break new soil, nor plough the earth. ...All of these are things which are improper (for a recluse).
- The Buddha's Last Bequest (compiled from the Chinese Tripitaka)
- The Absorptions in Buddhist Meditation (Leigh Brasington)
- Intellectualizing the Meditative Absorptions (Bhante G)
Letting Go of Suffering (Now)
(Virtual) Church of Forgiveness.com
TAKE A MOMENT NOW
and experience yourself dropping your suffering to the ground.
Hear it sizzling as it cools,
passing its heat and melting away
into the vastness of Mother Earth
You’re feeling COOLER now.
RIGHT NOW decide to REALLY
RELEASE.
Then as you do so, click below.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Earth Day (Mother Bhumi) from India to US
Padma Kuppa (Seeking Shanti, Patheos.com) 
(TwilightRainbow)
San Fernando Valley celebrates Earth Day on May 22, 2011
(TwilightRainbow) Mother Bhumi: Hinduism and Creation
As we approach Earth Day, let's choose to be wise, to live in friendly collaboration with one another and Mother Earth.
Once or twice a year during Lent I'm in a church: I am fortunate to be invited to speak during the house of worship's Lenten Lecture Series about my faith journey as a Hindu. This Lent, I had an opportunity to share how Hindus value all of Creation.
The issue came up when I mentioned the many misconceptions about Hinduism: how people believe that Hindus are polytheistic or that we worship cows -- a question that comes up often because public school curricula provides this misrepresentation. Hindus have to answer collectively, as in the Hindu American Foundation's media toolkit, or individually, as in Gautham Pathial's 2007 essay in Hinduism Today.
When someone asked during the Q&A if we also worship snakes, I simply stated: "All of Creation is sacred."
Matthew McDermott quoted from the part of Hinduism's sacred scriptures known as the Upanishads. In the latest issue of Hinduism Today, his article on Hinduism and the Environment opens with three words in Sanskrit and its 11-word English translation: Ishavasyam idam sarvam: "This entire universe is to be looked upon as the Supreme" (Shukla Yajur Veda, Ishavasya Upanishad-1). More
Earth Day Los Angeles
Santa Monica changes Earth Day celebrations to June 24-26San Fernando Valley celebrates Earth Day on May 22, 2011
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