We're looking for bands to book for psychedelic rock in Pasadena (in the foothill area of Los Angeles) on Thursday nights at The Terrace (next door to the Pacific Asia Museum and its many Buddhist exhibits) on Colorado Blvd. at Los Robles Ave.
We want bands that will bring a lot of friends so that everyone's circles and musical creations can connect into a collective of memories and new friendships, coming together and forming greater networks between everyone in SoCal sharing in this beautiful collective consciousness. Infinite heart vibrations connect us.
The devas' music
Hey, Erik, can the Wisdom Quarterly house band audition? We only have two songs -- "Noble Indian Chief" and "Do Her" -- so far but lots of hipster/hippie friends and fans. Granted the songs are covers paying homage to Peter and Lois Griffin of "Family Guy" fame. We're called "Handful of Amber," psychedelic death metal/vegan grindcore, pro-entheogen, lute/harp music. Well, here, have a look:
(Family Guy) Peter and Lois are a "Handful of Peter" performing "Do Her" while baked on entheogenic cannabis, which does not end up helping their music or public performance.
Ashley Wells, Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly; Carlos Lozano, Marisa Gerber (latimes.com); John D. Ireland (SN 22:94);Andrew Olendzki (Thag15.2); Black Flag
Devas like Radha Devi are rejoicing as the scent of spring wafts through the summer air.
Lotus blossoms, birds, and bees in view of L.A.s skyscrapers and blight (latimes.com)
.
Lotuses of Echo Park, L.A. (latimes.com)
Everything is coming up lotuses because the Los Angeles "Lotus Festival" is back at the newly restored Echo Park Lake near downtown. It is Echo Park's 34th festival and runs all weekend honoring the culture and traditions of L.A. Asian communities, particularly the influence of the Philippines.
Festivities kicked off Friday night with music and a movie premiere of a 24-minute film on the history of Echo Park, which lies just west of downtown [one of the west coast's main financial districts in the megalopolis known to the world as] Los Angeles. The celebration continues Saturday and Sunday, beginning at noon and runs until 9:00 pm and 8:00 pm respectively. The event is sponsored by the city’s Department of Recreation and Parks and includes food, music, and boat races. But the real star of the festivities are the lotus flower beds, which are in full bloom. More
What's so great about the lotus?
Waterlilies are wonderful, too (WeGoTwo/flickr).
In India the lotus is revered as the favorite flower, rich in spiritual significance. It is to the East what the rose is to the West. The most remarkable thing about it is that for all its delicate beauty and sublime fragrance, it grows up out of muck.
As Thich Nhat Hanh is fond of saying, It is composed of all "non-lotus elements" -- mud, mire, water, clouds, air, and stinky swamp silt. Yet, behold its beauty!
Later Mahayana Buddhism developed a "Lotus Sutra," but earlier discussions come from the historical Buddha and the enlightened elders (theras and theris), his direct disciples, like Udayin:
The Blooming Lotus
Andrew Olendzki (trans.) Udayin Thera's lotus verses (Theragatha 15.2 excerpt)
Sukhothai (Golan Jesus Roncero/flickr)
As the flower of a lotus,
Arisen in water, blossoms,
Pure-scented and pleasing the mind,
Yet is not drenched by the water,
In the same way, born in the world,
The Buddha abides in the world;
And like the lotus by water,
He does not get drenched by the world.
This translation is by Andrew Olendzki of a poem by the enlightened Elder Udayin [an "elder" being a thera in the "Teaching of the Theras" or Thera-vada Buddhism]. It evokes one of the most famous of Buddhist images and is laced with meaning on many levels.
In one sense -- from early Buddhist teachings -- it can be taken to describe the ability of the enlightened person to rise above the world of sensory experience instead of remaining mired, clinging or attached to it. Although the human condition is rooted in the desires (cravings, graspings) that give rise to life and the illusion of a separate, independently-existing "self," which is actually dependently-arisen, one can awaken and live in this world without being bound by the impulse to hungrily crave pleasure and angrily reject pain.
One is "drenched by the world" when one succumbs to grasping, clutching, and clinging -- behaviors that inevitably bring about suffering, disappointment, and a disillusionment. The heart/mind clings to an attractive object like water permeating something and drenching it.
The Buddha did not immediately transcend the world, but lived in it for 45 years with a heart/mind free of all attachments, defilements, and bonds.
The question of just what sort of being the Buddha was grew in importance. The image of the lotus emerging from the mud and blooming above the world became a popular way of expressing the Buddha's transcendence. In the canonical passage upon which Ven. Udayin builds his verse (SN 22:94) the phrase "having passed beyond the world" (lokam abhi-bhuyya)is added, and this becomes the basis for the Vetulyaka assertion that the Buddha was essentially a transcendent being.
This interpretation had profound implications for later Buddhism: It set the stage for the "Three Bodies of the Buddha" Doctrine of Mahayana Buddhism. In this way of looking at things, awakening (represented by the blossoming of a lotus) is something that can happen for all beings.
Tantric Buddhists (Vajrayana school) were drawn to the contrast in this image between the ordinary, defiling mud in which the plant is rooted and the uplifted loveliness of the blossom it can produce.
Relentless in their non-attachment to dichotomies demolishing opposites, the tantric approach is to be capable of embracing both extremes without clinging to either. The emphasis changes, but we can see that the essential teaching of non-attachment or non-clinging (nopalippati) to the objects of sense-perception, to a particular way of teaching, or to conventional dualities. It carries through the ages by this simple image of a bright lotus growing out of murky water.
SUTRA: Flowers
John D. Ireland (trans., SN 22:94), BPS(Wheel #107), edited by Wisdom Quarterly
The Buddha under a blossom or vimana (WQ)
[The Buddha once said:] “I do not dispute with the world, meditators. The world disputes with me. A proclaimer of Dharma does not dispute with anyone in the world. What is not believed by the wise in the world, of that I say 'It is not so.' What is believed by the wise in the world, of that I say 'It is so.'
“And what is it, meditators, that is not believed by the wise in the world and of which I say 'It is not so'? That the body [any form]… feeling… perception… formation [mental activities]… [or] consciousness is permanent, stable, eternal, not liable to change, is not believed by the wise in the world, and I also say it is not so.
“And what is it, meditators, that is believed by the wise in the world and of which I say 'It is so'? That the body… feeling… perception… mental formation… consciousness is impermanent, unsatisfactory, liable to change, is believed by the wise in the world, and I also say it is so.
“There is, meditators, in the world a world-condition which the Tathagata [the Buddha] has fully awakened to, has fully realized. Having fully awakened to it and fully realized it, he declares it, teaches it, makes it known, establishes it, discloses it, analyzes it, makes it clear.
“And what, meditators, in the world is the world-condition which the Tathagata has fully awakened to, has fully realized? Meditators, the body… feeling… perception… formations… consciousness, meditators, in the world is that world-condition the Tathagata has fully awakened to, has fully realized…
“And whosoever, meditators, when it is being declared, taught, made known, established, disclosed, analyzed, made clear by the Tathagata thus, does not understand, does not see, that person, an uninstructed worldly person, blind, without vision, not understanding, not seeing, I can do nothing for.
“Just as a water-lily or a blue lotus or a white lotus, born in water, growing in water, having arisen above the water stands unwetted by the water, similarly, meditators, the Tathagata, brought up in the world and conquering the world [i.e., conquers the Five Aggregates by penetrating the Truth with wisdom their true nature as impermanent, disappointing, and impersonal], lives unsullied by the world [i.e., unsullied by craving and attachment to the world].”
There is even a grungy old punk rock song that runs: Jealous cowards try to control/ Rise above! We're gonna rise above!/ They distort what we say / Rise above! We're gonna rise above!/ Try and stop what we do/ Rise above! We're gonna rise above!/ When they can't do it themselves/ Rise above! We're gonna rise above!/ We are tired of your abuse/ Try to stop us, it's no use.
Rougher original version of Black Flag's singalong "Rise Above"
Society's arms of control/ Rise above! We're gonna rise above!/ Think they're smart, can't think for themselves/ Rise above! We're gonna rise above!/ Laugh at us behind our backs/ Rise above! We're gonna rise above!/ I find satisfaction in what they lack/ Rise above! We're gonna rise above!
We are tired of your abuse. Try to stop us but it's no use! (repeat)/ We are born with a chance/ Rise above! We're gonna rise above!/ I am gonna have my chance/ Rise above! We're gonna rise above!/ We are born with a chance/ Rise above! We're gonna rise above!/ And I am gonna have my chance...
The mighty Himavanta/Himalayas (Raimond Klavins/artmif.lv/artmif/flickr.com)
Buddhist and Bon family members of the Nepali mountain-guides lost in the Mt. Everest avalanche wait for the bodies of loved ones to arrive at Sherpa Monastery in Kathmandu on April 19, 2014. The avalanche was the deadliest in eight years (Navesh Chitraka/Reuters).
The avalanche that killed 16 Sherpas last week may be a turning point in the history of Mt. Everest (Sagarmatha) expeditions -- a time to reflect on the Western climbing culture and on the risks faced by the mountain's unsung heroes that make that culture possible, the Sherpas.
The World asked Pasang Yangjee Sherpa, an anthropologist and lecturer at Penn State Univ., to answer some questions about Sherpa culture. She didn't have any immediate family or relatives killed in the avalanche but says the tragic accident "is something that is really sad for every Sherpa." We've lightly edited the interview for clarity.
When you have Sherpa in your name, what does that indicate?
It indicates that we belong to this ethnic group called Sherpas.
The term Sherpa is often used synonymously with expedition workers, or porters, because historically those were the jobs that Sherpas did. But it kind of takes our attention away from who Sherpas really are and does not differentiate the ethnic group from the job.
Buddhist Himalayas from K2 to Bhutan
Sherpas currently live in different parts of the world, but the largest communities are in Nepal and the Everest region. And there are large communities of Sherpas living in [metropolitan] Kathmandu and New York City.
Why are Sherpas so skilled at mountaineering?
We have been living in the mountains for a very long time, and that's where we come from, so we know the area. We know how to live and survive and adapt. But we need to understand thatSherpas do not climb mountains for a hobby or as a sport. They do so to earn money for themselves and their families so the families can have a better life.
Buddhist novices of India behind the Himalayas, Ladakh (SylvainBrajeul/flickr.com)
How do Sherpas generally view the Himalayan mountains?
The mountains are not just [inanimate] objects in front of them. The mountains are places where deities [devas and other shapeshifting creatures visible to shamans and mystics] reside.
So we go to the mountains and we actually pray [do puja to honor them] and make sure the mountain [or the being associated with the mountain] is not upset, and we make sure the mountains are happy to allow Sherpas, or anyone, to climb.
Every time one of the expeditions goes up, the Sherpas do a pujah -- a ritual to appease the deity and to make sure everyone's happy and it's okay for them to climb. But this time, because so many lost their lives, this was seen as a sign by the Sherpas that their god[s are] not happy. They thought it was a good reason to stop climbing [and risking their lives] this year.
Does the worst accident in the history of Everest expeditions mark a turning point for Sherpas?
My friends and I are hoping this will be a turning point. The cycle of people feeling pressured to go to the mountain, then getting injured or dying, then the families grieving -- I think this cycle has to end. We think this incident should be a turning point for everyone. And for the expedition workers, in particular. More
Extended highlights from the film show New York housewives who take on a major chemical corporation that polluted their community of Love Canal, Greenpeace’s campaigns to save whales, to the struggle by Chico Mendes and Brazilian rubber tappers to save the Amazon rainforest.
The film’s Oscar-nominated director Mark Kitchell explains, "We were really looking to tell stories of the movement. We thought it would be a more engaging and impassioned approach to what are very difficult subjects. Usually environmental films, no matter how good they are, are an eco-bummer....These people succeeded against enormous odds. And that should give us some kind of hope..." More
"I am named of olde by Men, Artemis and Cerridwen..." (The Book of Shadows, Lady Sheba).
Even before the ancient Greeks recognized her as Artemis -- Goddess of the Moon, Archery, the Hunt, Katniss to Hollywood, and Diana to the Romans -- the devi (female deva) appeared to inspire others.
Homer in the Illiad (xxi 470 f.) calls her "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals." Here she is celebrated by Bjork and appearing today:
Most children, Asher Svidensky says, are a little intimidated by golden eagles.
Kazakh boys in western Mongolia, however, start learning to use the huge birds to hunt for foxes and hares at the age of 13, when the eagles sit heavily on their undeveloped arms.
AsholPan is a good girl and huntress.
Buddhism in Kazakhstanrefers to forms of Buddhism especially prevalent along the Silk Roadin Central Asia. Its history is closely related to the Silk Road transmission of Buddhism during the first millennium CE. A number of Early Buddhist schools were historically prevalent throughout Central Asia. Three major phases of missionary activities are associated with these chronological sects: Dharmaguptaka, Sarvāstivāda, and Mūlasarvāstivāda. The Dharmaguptaka made more efforts than any other sect to spread Buddhism beyond India and Afghanistan, to areas such as Iran (Ariyan-land), other parts of Central Asia [at one time dominated by the ancient Greeks], and China, and they had great success in doing so...More
Svidensky, a photographer and travel writer, shot five boys learning the skill as well as the girl, Ashol-Pan.
"To see her with the eagle was amazing," he recalls. "She was a lot more comfortable with it, a lot more powerful with it and a lot more at ease with it."
The Kazakhs (Central Asia) of the Altai mountain range in western Mongolia are the only people who hunt with golden eagles, and today there are around 400 practicing falconers. Ashol-Pan, the daughter of a particularly celebrated hunter, may well be the country's only apprentice huntress.More
A pony and a wandering, nomadic religion (shramanicBuddhism) for Ashol Pan (BBC)
Note the Uggs and harmony between human and animal realms (Asher Svidensky)
There are no such things as unicorns...except for this one and others like it. They have been bred back into existence by careful animal husbandry (dianapeterfreund.com).
Hunger Games III: "Divergent"
Take a teen angst trip all over again, this time with Shailene Woodley (as Tris Prior) instead ofJen Lawrence. Also starring Kate Winslet andTheo James as the mysterious Four.
The California Native Plant Society works hard to protect California's native plant heritage and preserve it for future generations. Our nearly 10,000 members promote native plant appreciation, research, education, and conservation through our five statewide programs and 34 regional chapters in California. More
Think of seven generations.
The California Native Plant Wiki is an information resource created by the Foundation to help gardeners with California native plants. The Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the use and understanding of California's extraordinary flora. Consider becoming a member or donating to support this service.
Invasives displace native plants and wildlife, increase wildfires and floods, consume valuable water, degrade recreational opportunities, and destroy productive range and timber lands. Cal-IPC works with land managers, researchers, policy makers, and concerned citizens to protect the state from invasive plants. More
Native Sanctuary expresses Orchid Black’s vision of a restored web of life in California starting with unique plants, which are among the most beautiful and ignored features of the Golden State. As a garden designer offering native plant consulting, habitat creation, and sustainable design services in the greater Los Angeles area, Orchid Black writes and lectures about native plants, water-saving strategies, and sustainable gardening.
Of course, this world -- this Eden -- is not just a garden. It is made of more than mycelium, flowers, plants, vines, and trees. This is the karmic playground of humans, faeries (bhumi-devas), giants (yakkhas), trolls (kumbhandas), ghouls (petas), many visitors (akasha-devas), and worse (maras).
So we have to learn to get along, even if there was a genocide, and no one is saying there was, except maybe historians.
Those poor cowboys were almost wiped out as the trickster Injuns tried to cross their barb wired properties -- for which they had papers saying the land suddenly belonged to them. Maybe it was the way Redskins got in the way when red-blooded British expats, now calling this land their land, started a mass slaughter of the buffalo, replacing hearty, well adapted bison with needy bovines and scavenging porcines. Or who can forget the way they gave us those free blankets that time?
Expanse of rugged California flowers: desert senna and chaparral yucca in Western Mojave Desert (Amber Swanson/cnps.org)
We can dream
Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, James Valby (trans.), Dr. Michael Katz (ed.)
It has been nearly a decade since the publication of the first edition of Dream Yoga and the Practice of Natural Light. Recently, Chogyal Namkhai Norbu proposed we enhance the original version with additional material from a profound and personal Dzogchen book he has been writing for years. It is a great honor to edit this material since no part of the new manuscript has previously been made public.
Pertinent material drawn from it has been translated by James Valby from the original Tibetan. It expands and deepens the first edition’s emphasis on specific exercises to develop awareness within the dream and sleep states.
In the manuscript Chogyal Namkhai Norbu has included specific methods for training, transforming, dissolving, disordering, stabilizing, essentializing, holding, and reversing dreams. In addition, he has presented practices for maintaining one’s practice throughout all moments of the day and night. The revision also includes a practice to develop the illusory body, methods for transference of consciousness at the time of death, and profound clear light practices for developing contemplation. More
