As we all know by now, "There will be coffins when you and I die, no consecrated ground, no sin to end all sin and angels with scorched wings, and if the thought of it stings, sorry, God, there's be no coffins, just bloody jellies, no coffins, just bloodies." At least that was what the British vegan anarcho punk band Rudimentary Peni sang in a Crass anarchist commune when the bands were vibrant and creative.
"Glance at the nice town. See the war plan it owns. There'll be mass graves, so I want my death grant, 30 pounds in advance. Buy now; don't leave to chance. At least it's the final kill -- no coffins, just bloody jellies, no coffins, just bloody jellies. This, their creation to purify the planet, a new beginning. No, it's not destruction!"
They were being ironic, but look how true it is for Palestine, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Tibet, the U.S. border, Libya, Sierra Leone, and countless other places the CIA and U.S. military-industrial complex (with Israel as the world's biggest joint weapons dealers with the U.S.) Before the mass deaths, there will be mass arrests. It's already started as Professors Dr. Michelle Alexander, Dr. Joyce DeGruy (who shows how we are ALL suffering from Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome), Dr. Ilan Pappe (who is brave enough to call what Israel is doing to Palestinians "incremental genocide"), Dr. Gerald Horne... reveal. This is the age of mass incarceration that touts itself as an age of colorblindness. MASS ARRESTS
(David Wilcock/Edgar Cayce, May 2014) The Illuminati has a plan for a "new world order" and it may be coming in 2014: Millions can die if nothing is done by humans, other earthlings, and "angels" (celestial devas). Feel free to share this video. (Special thanks to StormsCloudsGathering for giving Wilcock permission to use some of their film clips). There are solutions and no need for despair. See links.
Gafsa Beach: lake discovered in desert A mystery lake appeared out of nowhere in Tunisia. It was discovered by shepherds in Gafsa. But is the water radioactive? Some say it is a miracle, while others are calling it a curse. In a drought-stricken region of Tunisia last month, a lake is being hailed a miracle by locals. About three weeks ago local shepherds discovered the large body of water along the Om Larayes Rd., about 25 km from the southern Tunisian city of Gafsa. Since then hundreds of people have flocked to the oasis-like formation dubbed Lac de Gafsa “Gafsa Beach.” Families swim there, youths leap from surrounding rocks into its clear waters. More
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)
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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...
Today is "Friday the Thirteenth." And that can mean good luck or bad, bad if addiction is on the calendar, the menu, and to do list. But good if one is turning it around to recovery.
Because today is Noah Levine's BLVD rehab (855 277-5363) open house, with a launch party for his newest book on treating intoxicants like forms of suffering and dumping them.
But "refuge," which really refers to nirvana, is what everyone calls the Three Gems or Jewels or Guides of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha (community), and "going for refuge" is what everyone thinks s/he's doing. Thegems are right on the new cover!
Noah Levine and his inner mohawk meditator
Today is the best day ever because EVERYONE IS INVITED to the party with Wisdom Quarterly. And if you come, you'll get a FREE copy of Levine's newest book. Let's ask Noah and the publisher, What is "Refuge Recovery"?
It is a proven practice. It is a process. It is a set of tools. It is a treatment. It is a path to healing [from] addiction.
Residential: 516 N. Detroit St., LA, CA 90036 (Melrose/La Brea) behind Canters Deli
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Against the Stream, Melrose Ave., Hlywd
Refuge Recovery is a Buddhist-oriented, non-theistic [not to be confused with atheistic but atheists will love the Stephen Batchelor-inspired "Buddhist Atheist" tee-shirts for sale with the rest of the Against the Stream swag] recovery program that does not ask anyone to believe anything [thanks to the Kalama Sutra] -- only to trust the process and do the hard work of recovery.
In fact, no previous experience or knowledge of Buddhism is required. Recovery is possible, and this book -- like the books of Kevin Griffin -- provides a systematic approach to treating and recovering from all forms of addictions. When sincerely practiced, the program will ensure a full recovery from addiction and a life-long sense of well-being and happiness.
Noah Levine, M.A., scion/son of Buddhist author Stephen Levine and student of Jack Kornfield, has been using Buddhist practices to recover from addiction since 1988. He is the founding teacher of Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society (refugerecovery.org)
SEE: AVICII, Beck, Foster the People, Fall Out Boy, The Neighbourhood, Bastille, Fitz & The Tantrums, Capital Cities, Phantogram, The 1975, American Authors, Kongos, and Bleachers.
A mighty devil (mara) says to a lesser demon (rakshasa, asura, or yaksha): "For all this talk of innate Buddha-nature, business is still humming right along." (buddhisthumor.org)
Go to your room, Lisa. Feelin' lucky, punk?
(FOX, Rated X for extreme) Cartoons precede our feature presentation. Isn't it funny living in a society that thinks nothing of showing violence on TV, but slip in some side boob? Oh 'ell no, the U.S. will not stand for it! "Think of the children!" Marge Simpson and a million MADD busybodies are heard to say. Then you become a father and, suddenly, hypocrisy sets in. Not my daughter's cleavage! Not my wife's amateur movie appearance. Have a son. Maybe he'll be partially gay, and will the same worries apply? Maybe. Maybe a whole set of new ones.
You're a good monkey. Stay out of Chris' closet.
"Men love porn," Quagmire and a million S.A.D. lazybodies are overheard to whisper. We need a spurt of dopamine, androgens, epinephrine, and maybe even a drop of oxytocin. Self soothing. Women can worry. Men can choke something. Look at that "Brass Monkey," the Buddhist band the Beastie Boys likes to say. He's a funky monkey. Sooner or later, punk rock boys become punk rock dads and discover the meaning of the other F word:
The Simpsons (Matt Groening) meet Family Guy (Seth Macfarlane); Gustavo Macana (mash up)
"The Other F Word"
A movie of quotable quotes: "A little ANARCHY can be a life-changing experience"
"The Other F Word" is a doc directed by Andrea Blaugrund Nevins, executive produced by Morgan Spurlock of "Supersize Me" fame (Rolling Stone). The film explores the world of punk musicians getting older and becoming parents. How can they maintain the contrast between an anti-authoritarian ethos and the responsibilities of F?
Other F-word? Fatherhood
It features interviews with more than 20 dads running the gamut of "punk" styles from Mark Hoppus of Blink 182 to Fat Mike of NOFX. It also includes professional skater Tony Hawk, who was part of a related subculture. Punks like skateboards. Other fathers featured: Jim Lindberg (Pennywise), Tony Adolescent (The Adolescents), Art Alexakis (Everclear), Rob Chaos (Total Chaos), Joe Escalante (The Vandals), Josh Freese (session drummer), Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Lars Frederiksen (Rancid), Matt Freeman (Operation Ivy), Jack Grisham (TSOL), Brett Gurewitz (Bad Religion), Greg Hetson (Circle Jerks), Mike McDermott (Bouncing Souls), Tim McIlrath (Rise Against), Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo), Duane Peters (U.S. Bombs), Joe Sib, Ron Chavo Reyes (Black Flag), and Rick Thorne (BMX biker). Additional music by FEAR, Dead Kennedys, Against Me!, Good Guys in Black, and the Black Pacific.
D'oh, I'll rip your head off and spit down your neck! - I'll tear ya limb from limb, fat chicken!
Prism. Prism? Prism! Light refracts, just as all the colors of white light contain a rainbow array of information. The NSA wants it all, which means no privacy for anyone in the world. Science will be like that within a year, some scientists claim. Light will soon be converted into matter. Who will stop them? Moreover, who will stop or slow down the National "Security" Agency, the NSA, one U.S. branch of America's spying apparatus. Even if Oversight Committee Chair Feinstein keeps her love spat with the CIA going, nothing much is being done here. Other countries will have to stand up.
Last Tuesday Noah Levine paid us a visit at Dharma Punx to announce that Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society is adding an outpatient drug and alcohol recovery center. Anyone interested in getting off or successfully staying off drugs using a Buddhist oriented path to recovery can contact Levine or the center to sign up.
Why resort to a REHAB center that promotes theism when a better alternative exists?
Buddhism is non-theistic, but former Western Buddhist monk Stephen Batchelor (who married a former Buddhist nun), author of Confession of a Buddhist Atheist, is a popular speaker at ATS influencing its outlook on resorting to a better "higher power" than the one one endlessly promoted at ordinary 12-Step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous.
Kevin Griffin, author of A Burning Desire: Dharma, God, and the Path of Recovery, will be hosting a daylong meditation and recovery workshop this month (see below). His approach incorporates Buddhism and the Noble Eightfold Path
Author, punk, and Against the Stream co-founder Noah Levine has an inner-meditator who comes out for all to see. It's the punk ethic: going against the way of the world like the Buddha. That meansrecovery fromaddictions. Meditate and destroy inner-obstacles (WQ).
