Buddhism arrives in Sri Lanka! (Poson)

Bhante, Dhr. Seven, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly; SundayObserver.lk

While the ruler was hunting, Buddhism arrived in Sri Lanka with enlightened brother and sister missionaries, Mahinda and Sanghamitta, scions of India's Buddhist Emperor Asoka (sundayobserver.lk)

 

The full moon (poornima) Buddhist observance day (uposatha) is being celebrated in Pasadena today at the Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara under the brilliant "honey" moon.

Long ago the island of Sri Lanka -- Ceylon and Serendib -- was disputed territory, a Yakkha Kingdom, with frequent incursions by Hindu kings and the Tamil nation just miles away across the straits in India.
 

The Great Epic mentions the exploits of Rama and Sita being spirited away to its pleasant shores. Eventually Buddhist kings arose who settled the island claiming it for their own. More

• Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara
• 920 N. Summit Ave., Pasadena 91103

Vedda people, indigenous jungle aboriginals still hunting in Sri Lanka (lanka-holidays.com)

 
(W) According to the Mahavamsa, the "Great Chronicle," Prince Vijaya encountered the royalty of the Yakkhas. Great King Kalasena and Queen Gonda on the celebration of the marriage of their daughter, Princess Polamitta, in the Yakkha capital of Lankapura, conquered and subjugated them. Lankapura may have been in Arithra or Vijithapura (a fortress-city in ancient Sri Lanka). The Yakkhas thereafter served as loyal subjects with the Vijiyan Dynasty, and the Yakkha chieftain sat at an equal height to the Sri Lankan leaders on festival days. Today Yakkha refers to a vanishing and rarely seen aboriginal people dwelling in the jungle. See History of Sri Lanka
 

An island at war is no place for Dharma

(This history is disputed, and the longest civil war in Asia was fought over it, or in any case used as the pretext for a conflict that profited a few political and military leaders in spite of the fact that it killed so many and impoverished even more islanders. Tamil Hindu separatists were saying, "We've been here all along" or even "We were here first." And the Sinhalese Buddhist majority, many of them nationalists, said: "This is a Buddhist land with no room for separatists!" There would have been no need for a dispute had the majority not so poorly treated the large ethnic minority, pushing it to seek its own self-determined way. We saw the abuse with our own eyes, and while our sympathies lie with the Sinhalese nationalists, the Hindu Tamils have a legitimate gripe, and reparations need to be made for war crimes and atrocities by the state. Strangely, the same tension was playing out more than a thousand miles north in formerly Buddhist Kashmir, where Pakistan-inspired and very cruelly-mistreated Muslim separatists want only independence. India will not hear of it, nor will Pakistan. Both seek to usurp the Muslim-majority territory, like the other Kashmir to the west, and China looks on ready to pounce if either should fail: fertile ground for endless conflict).

The spiritual Plymouth Rock of Sri Lanka, Mahintale, where Buddhism landed, now the main focus of celebrations on the island (sundayobserver.lk).

Kumbha Mela 2014, California (video)

Wisdom Quarterly; Sanatana Hindu Sangha of California, USAKumbhaMela.net

The world's largest festival, originating in India, comes to California on Feb. 22, 2014

The great Kumbh Mela is the oldest and largest gathering of human beings on the planet. It takes place every 12 years in India at the confluence of three holy rivers including the Ganges. More than 1,000 Kumbh Mela festivals have taken place over the ages.

 

It is a massive yogic, ascetic, Vedic, Brahminical, Hindu pilgrimage aimed at keeping the ultimate spiritual goals of human life in sight for the multitude of seekers who merge into the ocean of humanity at this event and become one. One hundred of million people participate, making it the largest gathering of people for a single purpose in the world.

(National Geographic) The World's Biggest Festival (Maha Kumbha Mela)

 

The Eternal Teaching or Truth (Sanatana Dharma, known in modern times as Hinduism inclusive of the two great renegade wandering-ascetic traditions, Buddhism and Jainism) boasts a glorious history of tens of thousands of years. Hinduism (named by the British after the many and varied practices in the Indus Valley Civilization and its subsequent societies collectively called "India") is known for its tenets of religious tolerance and harmony. More

• FREE, Saturday, February 22, 2014
• Excelsior Grounds, 15711 Pioneer Bl.,
• Norwalk, California 90650
• Contact: Pannkaj Kummar (714) 936-1439
• VIDEO: "Enlightenment Guaranteed"?
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X

(Saregama) Maha Kumbha Mela 2013 devotional festival

Off the Cushion: Against the Stream

Seth Auberon, Gary Sanders, Wisdom Quarterly; Against the Stream, "Off the Cushion"

Against the Stream: 4300 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90029, (323) 665-4300

Dharma Punx centers (nationwide)

A commitment to social action and service is an integral part of Against the Stream's ethos (and Articles of Incorporation) as is the case with Wisdom Quarterly. Quietly, many members, facilitators, and teachers volunteer in many different ways.

 

An amazing amount of generosity and compassion inspires us and others to participate. This year ATS wants to make it easier for members of our spiritual community (sangha) to get involved. Because when we get Off the Cushion, we Step into the World.

• Insight on the Inside: Prison Pen Pal Program
• Volunteer at Against the Stream, Buddhist Meditation Society
• One Earth Sangha and Earth Care Week, October 1-7, 2013

Insight on the Inside is ATS's pen pal program. It connects ATS members with prisoners around the country who are seeking support with their practice. This program has been going strong for two years and we are currently seeking more pen pals. If interested, visit the IOTI Information Page. This program has led to two of our facilitators (Gary and Corey) bringing meditation classes into Tehachapi State Prison in California on a regular basis.

 

Volunteer
Against the Stream depends on visitors and members to keep going. It is a non-profit and dependent on generosity to survive. But "generosity" does not just come in the form of monetary donations; it comes as time and energy as well. ATS is always in need of people to help edit talks, host classes, clean the centers, work on the Website, and more. Looking for a way to connect with the community? Visit the ATS volunteer page. It does not happen without you!

 

One Earth Sangha, Earth Care Week

Save our planet, save countless beings!

Last summer all of those attending the International Vipassana Teachers' meeting at Spirit Rock (including founder Noah Levine) responded to a request for teachings on climate change by making it a topic for concentrated discussion and action. One outcome was the creation of Earth Care Week, which will take place the first week in October each year. ATS teachers will offer teachings together with InsightLA and the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA (marc.ucla.edu).

The ATS community has already begun to get Off the Cushion to raise awareness and make a difference in this area. And after a successful Clinton Street Cleanup, ATS is keeping it up with the Melrose Neighborhood clean up, which takes place on the second Sunday of each month after the 11:00 am class. Join ATS for a quick clean up starting on Sept. 7, 2013. And stay tuned for another round of The Sock Project (collecting socks for the homeless).

 

ATS has a broad and diverse community with different interests and skills. All are invited to join in the commitment to ease suffering and bring compassion wherever it can be brought. ATS and WQ would also love to hear about other doings and ideas. Let's build a network to help everyone. More