Forgiving in the Face of ANGER (sutra)

Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly; Andrew Olendzki, Vepacitti Sutra (SN 11.4)

Churning Space: bas-relief of Samudra manthan, Angkor Wat, Cambodia, shows Vishnu in the center, in his Kurma avatar, with the asuras and the devas on either side (Wiki).

Rebel asuras, cast from deva-world by Sakka, fall to Earth (Hieronymus Bosch).

Asura Dvarapala, Borobudur (wiki)

This noble teaching on how to respond when faced with anger is placed in an ancient historical/mythical setting. The story is told by the Buddha of a great war between devas (shining ones, angels) and the asuras (titans, demons).
 
The devas are ultimately victorious (as happens in later Greek and Norse versions of the same myth). They capture Vepacitti [full history], a titan king. Bound in chains, he is brought to the space station of the Thirty-Three and into the presence of Sakka, King of the Devas.

• Sakka (St. Michael), Lord of the Thirty-Three Lords
• A previous Sakka's ancient space flight (Jataka)

Being the titan that he his, Vepacitti hurls a torrent of abuse and insulting names at his captor (the catalog of which in the commentary is most interesting). Sakka, however, is unmoved, inspiring Matali, the charioteer of his spacecraft, to begin the following poetic exchange:
 
The poem is in the prevalent vatta meter, with eight syllables per line, and contains much subtle word-play. For example, the words bala (fool) and bala (strong, powerful) dance with one another throughout the piece (appearing 17 times), nowhere more intimately than in the frolicking alliteration of Lines 31 and 32 (abalan-tam balam aahu yassa balaabalam balam).

• FOOLS (Bala Sutra, Book of the Twos, AN 2.98) "Meditators, there are two fools. Who are the two? The one who takes up a burden that has not befallen one, and the one who does not take up a burden that has. These are the two fools."

A king of the titans (Evs in Nz/flickr)

The linking of the word titikkhati (forbearance) with the similarly sounding tikicchati (healing) is also a poignant touch that is hardly accidental.

This exchange shows well how the Buddha adapted the heroic ideals of his warrior's heritage to the inner struggle for self-mastery. The strength of the victorious Sakka -- who is a stream enterer having been a hearer of the Buddha's Dharma and won that attainment -- rests in his wisdom and forbearance.
 
The weakness of the fierce yet vanquished titan comes from his lack of understanding, earning him the label "foolish," which leaves him helpless to resist the passions raging within him.
 

Was Zarathustra an asura? (G6G)

Though these verses were penned thousands of years ago, their truth is timeless. It is the same truth that has helped many non-violent social and political reform movements achieve dramatic results in our own century.

Conquest is only the apparent victory of the short-sighted, while transformation of oneself and others is the more lasting "victory" of the wise. Remaining unprovoked in the face of anger and hostility still offers the best hope for healing our troubled world.

• THE FOOLISH AND THE WISE (Bala-Pandita Sutra, AN 2.21) "Meditators, there are two foolish persons. Who are the two? The one who does not see a transgression as a transgression, and the one who does not rightly forgive another who has confessed a transgression. These are the two fools. There are two wise persons. Who are the two? The one who sees one's own transgression as a transgression, and the one who rightly forgives another who has confessed a transgression. These are the two wise persons."

Bas relief of Sakka, King of the Devas [of Tavatimsa], and apsaras (wiki)

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Calm in the Face of Anger (verses)

[Matali:] Sakka, could it be you're afraid,

Or weak, that you forgive [khanti] like this,

Though hearing such insulting words

From the lips of Vepacitti?

[Sakka:] I am neither afraid nor weak,

Yet I forbear Vepacitti.

How is it one who knows, like me,

Would get provoked by such a fool?

 

[Matali:] More angry will a fool become

If no one puts a stop to him.

So let the wise restrain the fool

By the use of a mighty stick.

[Sakka:] This is the only thing, I deem,

That will put a stop to the fool:

Knowing well the other's anger,

One is mindful and remains calm.

[Matali:] This very forbearance of yours,

Sakka, I see as a mistake.

For when a fool reckons like this:

"From fear of me he does forbear,"

The dolt will come on stronger still —

Like a bull the more that one flees.

Deva Sakka defeats the dragon or naga (1st-art-gallery.com).

[Sakka:] Let him think whatever he likes:

"From fear of me he does forbear."

Among ideals and highest goods

None better than patience is found.

For surely he who, being strong,

Forbears the ones who are more weak —

Forever enduring the weak —

That is called the highest patience.

For whom strength is the strength of fools,

It is said of the strong, "He's weak!"

For the strong, guarding the Dharma,

Contentiousness is never found.

 

It is indeed a fault for one

Who returns anger for anger.

Not giving anger for anger,

One wins a dual-victory.

 

One behaves for the good of both:

Oneself and the other person.

Knowing well the other's anger,

One is mindful and remains calm.

In this way one is healing both:

Oneself and the other person.

The people who think, "He's a fool,"

Just don't understand the Dharma.

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The lore of St. Michael, the archangel, are echoes of Sakka, King of the Angels. He is revered in Buddhism, Vedic Hinduism, Yazidi Islam, Eastern Orthodox Christianity, and Catholicism.

Give me meditation or give me mantra (video)

Crystal Quintero, Seven, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly; Jeanne Heileman (YogaVibes.com)

Seated meditation (Tess Photo/naturealmom.com)

 
Mantra and meditation may seem mysterious, even overwhelming. But yoga instructor Jeanne Heileman dissolves any anxiety related to the mystery. Experience yoga online. “The biggest thing is to experience it,” says Heileman.

The uses of mantra (yogavibes.com)

She discusses the uses and importance of mantra, as well as the many different kinds and options. To practice mantra, follow up this discussion up with the following online yoga videos.

Online Vinyasa Yoga class with Jeanne Heileman (youtube.com/yogavibes.com)

Finding Our Voice

Explore the use of mantra with a practice that focuses on aspects of the fifth chakra, which is connected to sound and vibration. Students in a class vocalize the mantra "So Hum" while moving through Sun Salutations and other yoga poses. At times, things get quiet when silently repeating the mantra. This is when one feels the vibrational quality the mantra provides. This class leads to Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand) and Matseyasana (Fish Pose). It may seem simple on the outside, but the students reported that the experience was very powerful on the inside. Follow up this transformative experience with try Heileman's Mantra for Meditation (55 minutes).

The energetic throat chakra gives us our voice  (youtube.com/yogavibes.com)

Meditation and yoga with Jeanne Heileman and Tara (yogavibes.com)

 

Mantra for Meditation

Spiritual mothering (naturealmom.com)

Everything vibrates, either on a slow, dull level or a faster, lighter frequency. The vibration of our speech comes from the vibrations of our respiratory system, which are a result of the vibrations from our thoughts. If we can begin to control (restrain) the vibrations in our mind, it can eventually ripple outward past our speech and into our actions and karmic destiny.

Mantra can be powerful. In this online meditation class, the mantra "So Hum" is offered, after some Pranayama (Breath Control) to help establish a focused environment. It is a simple, safe, and extremely powerful mantra that works in alignment with any spiritual/religious perspective. It can also help fill the void if no perspective exists. This meditation is a wonderful option for a mind that is racing and difficult to concentrate. It is also wonderful for low self-esteem when we feel we lack outer support. The effects of the mantra in time after many, many repetitions (24 mins).

Mantra is yet another amazing tool to get our limited conscious mind out of the way -- so as to re-pattern and re-wire it out of negativity and harmful habits in a subtle and effective way. Tap into your grace, goodness, and divinity, while transforming and raise one's vibration. More

 

Japan: Land of the Disappearing Buddha (video)

Wisdom Quarterly; World Geographic Channel

(The Long Search) "The Land of the Disappearing Buddha"

10 Easy Steps to "Zen"

Amber Larson (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly; WikiHow.com

Here are 10 easy steps to a "zen" (jhana) state of mind. Zazen (just sitting) is a type of meditation unique to Zen Buddhism. It functions at the heart of the practice. Zen (Chinese Ch'an, Sanskrit Dhyana, Pali Jhana) is the Japanese word for "meditation," so Zen Buddhists could be called "Meditation-centric Buddhists." This outlines how a beginner can practice zazen, which literally means sitting meditation.