Showing posts with label papa mitta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label papa mitta. Show all posts

Sunday, 10 August 2014

Could I be EVIL? (TED Talks)

This episode, TED speakers uncover surprising realities about violence.
Gunshot to the face or head right through the windshield? (Sascha Burkard/iStockphoto)
 
The Violence Within Us
Violence and brutality are grim realities of life. In one hour, four TED speakers explore the sinister side of our dim human nature -- and ask whether we're all capable of violence.
 
"Pray to the Moon when it's round. Death with you shall then abound..." sings Slayer (from "Hell Awaits"), one of the most popular bands for U.S. militants, along with all things porn, songs serial killers might whistle while engaged in their doings.

(Slayer) See Minute 4:15. Slayer and rap music were PMRC targets

U.S. tanks come equipped with CD players and premium music systems. Why? American soliders like to enjoy some music to kill by. "Driven by the instinct of centuries of horror/ Implanted along the brain of the sickening parasite/ Linked together by one trait/ The hell-filled need to kill, kill, kill, kill, KILL" (Slayer, "At Dawn They Sleep"). But the No. 1 song on the military hit parade is "Bodies" by Drowning Pool: "Let the bodies hit the floor"! What is more "evil" (Pali papa) than industrial-scale killing?

Philip Zimbardo explains his infamous Stanford Prison experiment at a TED conference.
Psychology Prof. Phil Zimbardo on his Stanford Prison Experiment
Jim Fallon's work analyzing the brains of psychopaths lead to a surprising personal discovery.
AUDIO: What does the [brain] of a killer look like? (Jim Fallon)
  
TED Censorship?


(RT, June 2014) Graham Hancock breaks the set on TED CENSORSHIP, Lost Civilizations, and War on Consciousness: Abby Martin interviews author Graham Hancock about the mysteries of ancient civilizations, hidden societies of the past, and censorship by TED Talks and the difficulty of getting new ideas accepted by mainstream archaeologists and historians.
 
The Super Full Moon Tonight
The perigee moon, or supermoon rises over Mount Eden in Auckland, New Zealand on Sunday morning.
Moon over Auckland (TG)
 Supermoon lights up skies around the world – in pictures. The perigee Moon, or Supermoon, rises over Mount Eden in Auckland, New Zealand, on Sunday morning. A dramatic Supermoon is set to accompany this year's Perseid meteor shower, one of the most anticipated events on the skywatcher's calendar. Given a dark, clear sky in a normal year, it is common to see more than 100 of the meteors an hour during the second week in August. But this year the Perseids have a bright shining rival. On Sunday, two days before the meteor shower reaches its peak, the Moon will become full. Coincidentally, it will also have reached the point in its orbit that is closest to the Earth, known as perigee. The Supermoon will be up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than other full moons during the year. On one level, this is bad news, according to Dr. Bill Cooke from NASA's meteoroid environment office. "Lunar glare wipes out the black, velvety backdrop required to see faint meteors, and sharply reduces counts." More

Friday, 7 March 2014

The Buddha as My Best Friend (sutra)

Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly translation of the "Discourse on Half [the Supreme Life]," Upaddha Sutta (SN 45.2) NOBLE FRIENDSHIP (Kalyāṇa-Mittatā)
The Buddha-to-come, Metteyya ("Friend"), Ladakh, Himalayan India (Sahil Vohra/flickr)
  
Theravada novice, Indonesia (Massulan/flickr)
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living among [his relatives] the Sakyans [on the northwest Indian frontier, likely in Afghanistan].
 
There in a Sakyan town named Sakkara Ven. Ananda went to the Blessed One, bowed, sat respectfully to one side, and said: "Venerable sir, this is half of the supreme life: noble friendship, noble companionship, noble association!"* 
  • [*As AN 8.54 points out, this means associating with noble spiritual friends (kalyana mittas), learning from them, and emulating their good qualities.]
"Do not say so, Ananda, do not say so! Noble friendship, noble companionship, noble association is the whole of the supreme life. When a meditator has noble friends, companions, and associates, such a person can be expected to develop and pursue the Noble Eightfold Path.

How's that?
Buddha, Bodh Gaya (Chandrasekaran arum/flickr)
"How does a meditator with noble friends, companions, and associates develop and pursue the Noble Eightfold Path
 
"A meditator develops right (optimal) view dependent on seclusion [mental seclusion, withdrawal of the senses], dependent on [temporary] dispassion [as a result of directly seeing the Three Marks of Existence, the true nature of things], dependent on cessation [focusing on the passing away phase of phenomena], resulting in relinquishment [letting go].

"Furthermore, one develops right intention... right speech... right action (karma)... right livelihood... right effort... right mindfulness... and right concentration dependent on seclusion, dependent on dispassion, dependent on cessation, resulting in relinquishment.

"This is how a meditator with noble friends, companions, and associates develops and pursues the Noble Eightfold Path [which ennobles one, i.e., results in enlightenment and being set FREE by the Truth (Veritas liberabit vos): liberation from all further rebirth and suffering (nirvana)].

The Eyes of Wisdom are always also the Eyes of Compassion (cabrenna.com/WQ)
 
The Buddha as BEST friend
Ahh, nirvana! (Plsrj/flickr)
"Now through this line of reasoning one may come to directly know how noble friendship, noble companionship, noble association is the whole of the supreme life: It is dependent on me (a supremely enlightened teacher) as a noble friend
  • that beings (devas and humans) once subject to rebirth have gained release from rebirth,
  • that beings once subject to aging have gained release from aging,
  • that beings once subject to death have gained release from death,
  • that beings once subject to (suffering manifesting as) sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair [as well as association with the unloved, separation from the loved, not getting what one wants and, in brief, the Five Aggregates of Clinging] have gained release from all of these.
Mahayana novices (wellhappypeaceful.com)
"It is through this line of reasoning that one may directly come to know how noble friendship, noble companionship, noble association is [not only half but actually] the whole of the supreme life."