The Lunar Observance (sutra): Blood Moon

Dhr. Seven and Amber Larson (trans.), Ashley Wells, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly (AN 8.41)

The Moon in eclipse goes red, but a tetrad of events? (goingglobaleastmeetswest)

Blood moon means something's about to change. The Hagee says so! (phoenixaquua)

 
Bad Lunar Observing

Look, omens in the sky! (endoftheworld)

The world will end tonight under the blood moon... (but will resume in the next sub-moment almost, but not exactly, the same; every sub-moment is that way: arising, turning, and passing away).

One day it will not resume in only a slightly different way, but that is as yet far away.

OMG, the Bible says so!

At that time of destruction with seven suns, the world evaporates and overheats, presumably with cosmic rays and an uncountable number of interacting neutrinos.

While the world yet remains, how should one observe the lunar days? These are Eight Precepts observed weekly by lay Buddhists as an intensive temporary practice (for one full day) on the new moon, quarter moon, half moon, and full moon.

The Good Lunar Observance

The Moon (Luna, Chandra) goes through phases (melissahardytrevenna)

  

Another moon every week

Thus have I heard. At one time the [Buddha] was residing in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's hermitage, near the city of Savatthi. Having called together the monastics, he addressed them: "Meditators!"

They answered in assent, "Venerable sir!" (This allowed them to prepare themselves to hear the following sutra). The Blessed One then taught them this Dharma regarding the lunar observance (uposatha).

 

"Meditators, the lunar observance is comprised of eight factors observed by the noble disciple. Their observation brings glorious and radiant fruit and benefit. 

"Meditators, what is the lunar observance observed by noble disciples that brings glorious and radiant fruit and benefit?"

"Meditators, noble disciples in this Dharma-and-Discipline reflect in the following way:

Life

All beings desire to live (kyivpost.com)

1. "'All enlightened beings, for as long as life endures, have given up the intentional taking of life (killing). The cudgel and sword have been laid aside. They dread (doing harm) and are instead compassionate toward all beings.'

 

"All of you have given up the intentional taking of life... For this day and night, in this way, you will be known as having followed the enlightened, and the lunar observance will have been observed by you. This is the first factor.

• See karma (deeds); sila (virtue)

Stealing

It's not stealing if dictators do it? (Olle)

2. "'All enlightened beings, for as long as life endures, have given up taking what has not been given (stealing). They take only what is given, are intent on taking only what is given. They are not thieves. Their behavior is spotless.'

 

"All of you have given up the taking of what has not been given... For all of this day and night, in this way, you will be known as having followed the enlightened... This is the second factor.

Sex

Let's split! - I'm behind you and ready to slip.

3. "'All enlightened beings, for as long as life endures, have given up that which is an obstacle to the Brahma-faring (supreme life). Their [passionless] practice is like that of a brahma. They are far from sexual practices [even further from sexual misconduct], which is a practice of ordinary lay people.'

 

"All of you have given up that which is an obstacle to the Brahma-faring and behave like a brahma. Your behavior is far from sexual practices. For all of this day and night, in this way, you will be known as having followed the enlightened, and the lunar observance will have been observed by you. This is the third factor.

 
Speech

No, I said no strings attached (SH).

4. "'All enlightened beings, for as long as life endures, have given up false speech [musavada: perjury, backbiting, tale bearing, idle chatter]. They utter only the truth and are intent on the truth. Their speech is firm and composed of reason. Their speech does not waver from that which is a mainstay for the world.'

 

"All of you have given up false speech. You speak only the truth and are intent only on what is true. Your speech is firm and full of reason. Your speech does not waver from the world's mainstay. For all of this day and night, in this way, you will be known as having followed the enlightened, and the lunar observance will have been observed by you. This is the fourth factor.
 
Intoxication

Getting high can end up low (cracked.com)

5. "'All enlightened beings, for as long as life endures, have given up the taking of intoxicants causing carelessness. They are far from intoxication.'
 

"All of you have given up the taking of intoxicants. You abstain from (drinking alcohol and) intoxicants that cause carelessness. For all of this day and night, in this way, you will be known as having followed the enlightened, and the lunar observance will have been observed by you. This is the fifth factor.
 
Eating

Snacking is cheating and the way to be fat.

6. "'All enlightened beings, for as long as life endures, eat at the proper time and not outside of it [taken to mean between dawn and noon]. They abstain from food at improper times (vikala bhojana).'
 

"All of you eat at the proper time only and do not partake of food after. You abstain from food at improper times. For all of this day and night, in this way, you will be known as having followed the enlightened, and the lunar observance will have been observed by you. This is the sixth factor."
 

Distractions

If an ad says so, it must be good.

7. "'All enlightened beings, for as long as life endures, have given up singing and dancing, the playing of musical instruments and the watching of [distracting] entertainments, which are stumbling blocks to that which is wholesome. Nor do they deck themselves in jewelry, ornaments, or perfume.'
 

"All of you have given up these things, which are stumbling blocks to the wholesome. You do not deck yourselves in jewelry, ornaments, or perfume. For all of this day and night, in this way, you will be known as having followed the enlightened, and the lunar observance will have been observed by you. This is the seventh factor."
 
Beds

I love sleeping with my "knitted boyfriend" body pillow. He's my yarn creation.

 
8. "'All enlightened beings, for as long as life endures, have given up using large or high beds. They are content with simple accommodations (low beds or bedding made of grass).'
 

"All of you have given up using large or high beds. You are content with simple accommodations. For all of this day and night, in this way, you will be known as having followed the enlightened, and the lunar observance will have been observed by you. This is the eighth factor."
 

"Meditators, the lunar observance is comprised of these eight factors, which thenoble observes, and it is of great and glorious fruit and benefit."
 

So said the Blessed One spoke on the night of the lunar observance, and the monastics were delighted and rejoiced at his words. Questions and Answers

World to end yesterday: Viking mythology

Pat Macpherson, Pfc. Sandoval, Wisdom Quarterly, George Knapp (Coast to Coast, 2-22-14)

From the point of view of quantum physics, there is plenty of room for interpretation within the realm of what is known (themindunleashed.org).

 

We collectively co-create physical reality

In quantum physics -- the scientific study of the nature of physical reality -- there is plenty of room for interpretation.

 

The most popular and mainstream, the Copenhagen interpretation, has as one of its central tenets the concept of wave function collapse: 

(Facebook/TheMindUnleashed)

That is, every event exists as a “wave function” that contains every possible outcome of that event, which “collapses” -- distilling into the actual outcome once it is observed.

For example, if a room is unobserved, anything and everything that could possibly be in that room exists in “quantum superposition” -- an indeterminate state, full of every possibility, until someone enters the room and observes it, thereby collapsing the wave function and solidifying the reality. More

Investigative journalist and radio host George Knapp shares several news items that have recently caught his attention, including articles on the Viking apocalypse, DHS's quest for a national license-plate recognition database, tsunami "ghost" stories from Japan, and the possibility of alien life inside of atoms:

• Are super-intelligent aliens hiding in our atoms?
• 10 mind-bending implications of Many Worlds Theory
• Jailed whistleblower on CIA-torture suffering retaliation



Japanese Buddhist ghosts post-tsunami

• Bizarre tsunami Ghost Stories haunt Japan An unusual outbreak has struck Japan in the wake of the 2011 tsunami which killed nearly 20,000 people: ghosts, possessions, exorcisms. Rev. Kaneda, top priest at a Zen Buddhist temple, says he has exorcised several people who had been invaded by the spirits of tsunami victims, writes Richard Lloyd Parry in the London Review of Books. Believe the stories or don't, they can be moving and scary...
• Homeland Security wants nat'l license plate tracking 
• Norse mythology predicts world will end yesterday:

Ready for the Viking apocalypse? Norse myth predicts world will end Saturday, Feb. 22

Nathan Klein (DailyMail.co.uk)

Apocalypse: Vikings believe Norse mythology claiming end of world will strike yesterday.

 

People in York, Jorvik Viking Festival

We have survived the Mayan apocalypse and Y2K, but be afraid -- the end of the world is coming...again!

This time it’s the Viking apocalypse that is allegedly set to destroy Earth, with Norse mythology claiming the planet will split open and unleash the inhabitants of Hel on Feb. 22.

Doom: The final battle of the gods [Buddhist devas], otherwise known as Ragnarok, signals the end of the world. Vikings believe the apocalypse will begin on Saturday.

Apocalypse NOW comes as the Viking community prepares for the Norse apocalypse called Ragnarok this Saturday [yesterday], in which the Earth is predicted to split open, and gods [devas] will battle for supremacy. 

According to Vikings Ragnarok is a series of events including the final predicted battle that results in the death of a number of major gods, the occurrence of various natural disasters and the subsequent submersion of the world in water.

The wolf Fenrir is also predicted to break out of his prison, the snake Jormungand will rise out of the sea, and the dragon of the underworld will resurface on Earth to face the dead heroes of Valhalla -- who, of course, have descended from heaven to fight them. More
   
APOCALYPSES THAT NEVER HAPPENED

THE MAYAN APOCALYPSE

The world was set to be destroyed by an asteroid, or some other interplanetary object such as an alien invasion on December 21, 2012. Scientists said this wasn't possible... and were proved right.

THE CHRISTIAN RAPTURE
When his four original predicted dates failed to come to fruition, Christian radio broadcaster Harold Camping revised his prediction and said that a "Spiritual Judgment" took place in May 2011, and that the end of the world would occur on October 21.
THE [HOAGLAND] COMET

There were grave fears Comet Elenin would cause disturbances to the Earth's crust, causing massive earthquakes and tidal waves in August 2011. Others predicted that Elenin would collide with Earth on October 16.

THE BLACK HOLES
A number of groups claimed that activation of the Large Hadron Collider experiment would bring about the end of the world through the production of planet-eating micro black holes on September 10, 2008. Similar claims were made two years later [just as the first nuclear test in the U.S. was thought to stand a good chance of destroying the world by sparking an uncontrolled series of nuclear fusion/fission events].
THE NUCLEAR WAR
In 2003, Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo predicted the world would be destroyed by a nuclear war sometime between October 30 and November 29.
THE NATURAL DISASTERS
Yoruba priests in Nigeria predicted dramatic tragedy and crisis in 2002, including coups, war, disease, and flooding.
THE MILLENNIUM BUG

Diet is the secret to beauty.

Predictions a "Y2K" computer bug would crash computers and cause major catastrophes worldwide when the clock ticked over to midnight on January 1, 2000. Planes were tipped to fall out of the sky and electronic gadgets were predicted to malfunction, ultimately resulting in society ceasing to exist.

• Notes: Posh Spice "fixed her face with diet -- not Botox," says her dermatologist; Victoria Beckham recently (finally) admitted to having a boob job
• Radio: 21st Century UFOs
  UFO research pioneer Richard Dolan joins George Knapp for a discussion on how to distinguish and investigate UFOs in the 21st century, when we are flooded with videos, data, and claims of all types.
• POWER TO THE PEOPLE: Ukraine's Pres. Yanukovych is ousted by protesters and Parliament

Daughter of Ukraine's jailed ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko, Yevgenia, reads letter from her mother in front of giant screen displaying the opposition leader in 2012 during an anti-government protest in Kiev. Tymoshenko suffers from debilitating back pain and has accused prison guards of beating her (GlobalPost.com).