Love, Sexuality, and Awakening: Retreat

Ven. Amma Thanasanti Bhikkhuni (awakeningtruth.org) and Dr. Sharon Beckman-Brindley (metta.org); Amber Larson and Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Fragrant blossoming lotus flower, the symbol of opening (tvladusi/flickr.com)

 

Dr. Beckman-Brindley, Ven. Thanasanti

The theme of this retreat is our relationship with various facets of love as part of a path of Buddhist awakening. "Love" includes a broad range of experience -- from a sense of friendliness and compassion, to appreciation toward ourselves, to the desire to release our masks and defenses and rest in a shared intimacy with others [a loss of self and merging with someone or something larger].

Sometimes in our daily life, this shared intimacy is expressed through romantic sexual involvement. [Other times it is sought diving within through asceticism and spirituality.] Ultimately, resting in love, we can embody an unconditional love that has no expectations, where love is an essential quality of "being" rather than a state or circumstance we long for [a trait rather than a temporary state].

 

Time for reflection (true-enlightenment.com)

This will be an eight precept retreat in which we refrain from killing and harming, and from stealing, any sexual activity, incorrect speech, and/or substances which cloud the mind. There will be two meals and an evening snack. We will begin the week using the Foundations of Mindfulness in silent practice. After a few days of silence, we will introduce sessions of Insight Dialogue to explore the theme.

It runs from Saturday May 23-30 in Loveland, Colorado, at Sunrise Ranch within easy access of Denver Int'l airport, yet secluded from the bustle of city life, in the Rocky Mountain foothills. Program contact: Katherine Wolfe (wolfalohalani@gmail.com). More 
 
ELIGIBILITY: This retreat is suitable for anyone self-identified as a woman who has a regular meditation practice and has done a seven-day mindfulness retreat.

DONATION: The teachings are offered on a dana basis (the Pali word for "generosity," the Buddhist practice of giving to one’s capacity).

SCHOLARSHIP: Dana has played an essential role in the Buddhist tradition. In the spirit of this tradition, Awakening Truth does not want cost to be an obstacle to participation and so, are committed to offering financial assistance to those who need it. If you cannot attend the retreat due to cost, please contact the retreat committee: 720-295-1321 or awakeningtruth.retreats@gmail.com.

SPONSORED BY: Awakening Truth, a 501(c)3 organization based in Colorado with the intention of supporting Buddhist nuns, bringing the teachings into the modern world and building a training monastery for [blended-Theravada] Forest Tradition bhikkhunis.

TEACHERS

Sharon Beckman-Brindley, Ph.D., is a Senior Insight Dialogue Teacher who teaches Insight Dialogue retreats worldwide. A clinical psychologist, she has served as team leader for Metta’s Relational Insight Meditation Program; she also serves on the Metta Programs Teachers Council. She has practiced vipassana (insight) meditation for over 30 years. Since 2001 she has studied and practiced the Dhamma and Insight Dialogue intensively with Gregory Kramer. She is also a co-founder and a guiding teacher of the Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville, Virginia and is a graduate of the Community Dharma Leaders Program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. She also has over 30 years of practice as a psychotherapist, who has led workshops and retreats on meditation and its integration with psychotherapy for over 15 years. She is a stepmother and a grandmother and lives with her husband and their two cats in Charlottesville.
 
Amma Thanasanti Bhikkhuni is a guest in Metta’s Teacher Training program. She has been meditating for over 30 years, a [Theravada or more eccentric American monastic] Buddhist nun for over 20 years, and has been teaching internationally for over 15 years. He work spans rigorous understanding of Buddhist teachings, non-dual meditation, depth psychology, subtle body energies, and the Divine Feminine. She teaches meditation as an art and skill, integrating body, heart, and mind with finesse and compassion. She founded Awakening Truth [whose rainbow motif suggests a particularly welcome climate for lesbians and gays], whose mission is to create a nun (bhikkhuni)'s training monastery and seeks ways for monastics and lay practitioners to work together to support whole-life practice. She is currently based at the Shakti Vihara Hermitage in Colorado Springs.

The Best Thing About Being a Girl! (video)

Amber Larson, Ashley Wells, Seven, Crystal Quintero, Pat Macpherson, Wisdom Quarterly

U.S. model before and after Photoshop

Like I guess it would be the way you can be cute and like wear makeup and like, you know, I don't know, just like be yourself but cute and with makeup and, yeah, that's the best thing!

Oh, and being paid by ginormous corporate sponsors to harm the image of chicks and like everybody else, that's pretty cool, too! Can we, like, go to Sephora now?

(NET) Gender stereotyping promotes sexism thanks to Disney and its corporate fortunes

OMG! :-O

Media images of females sank to new lows in the U.S. in the last year for which data is available. The usual suspects are responsible -- Disney Corp., the Associated Press (AP), Hollywood moguls, the porn industry, gentleman's clubs, marketers, PR firms, modeling agencies, and maybe us.

Tori Amos' song for Wes Anderson (npr.og)

Of course WQ is to blame, too, but by "us" we mean it in the larger sense of the U.S. population. We are the consumers, and corporations claim the demanders of such images, TV portrayals, and gender stereotypes. One day FEMEN will come to these shores from the Ukraine, and it'll be death to the patriarchy.  Until then, at the very least, one ought to avoid the Beverly Hills Hotel as we ignore the women we injure and cast aspersions at brutal multi-billionaires like the sexist Sultan of Brunei.

• Celebs boycott Brunei-owned hotels over death by stoning

Who knew mere multi-millionaires cared?

Jay Leno, Ellen DeGeneres, and others protested outside the Beverly Hills Hotel, owned by the sexist/misogynist and patriarchal Sultan of Brunei (who is worth 20 billion) -- the first ruler to establish Sharia Law in S.E. Asia... (L.A. Now) Brunei law on women and gays sparks Beverly Hills Hotel boycott

• U.S. Military rapes, sexual assaults up 50% last year 
• U.N. charges Vatican with child rapes, torture by priests 
• U.N. grills Vatican on gay Catholic clerical sexual abuse

Our Brains on Porn

Hank talks about something or other then finally gets to the sex at Minute 4:14. Fast forward. 

Jean Kilbourne asks... hot or not?

A brain on porn has a lot in common with a brain on religion. They both make part of the anxious brain turn off, at least in women, according to the Journal of Sexual Medicine and Dutch physicians. There is no "GOD spot," claims Hank, but in the bedroom he could be proven wrong. In addition to space talk, this short episode touches on: synthetic biology, XNA (xenonucleic acids), polymerase, evolution, evolve, religion, porn, pornography, journal of sexual medicine, brain, sexual arousal, anxiety, sex, religion, spirituality, parietal lobe, and the brain's GOD spot. More

 

Killing Us Softly

(CM)

After all, what are BOOBS for?

In this highly anticipated update of her pioneering "Killing Us Softly" series, Jean Kilbourne takes a fresh look at how advertising traffics in distorted and destructive ideals of femininity.

This simultaneously defines or alter-casts destructive norms of masculinity as opposite or separate rather than cooperative and united. All whole humans are both feminine and masculine.

The film marshals a range of new print and television advertisements to lay bare a stunning pattern of damaging gender stereotypes -- images and messages that too often reinforce unrealistic and unhealthy perceptions of beauty, perfection, and sexuality.

 

For porn and selling clothes. D'uh. Obviously!

By bringing Kilbourne's groundbreaking analysis up to date, Killing Us Softly 4 challenges a new generation of students to take advertising seriously and to think critically about popular culture and its relationship to sexism, eating disorders, and gender violence.

Jean Kilbourne, Ed.D. is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking work on the image of women in advertising and for her critical studies of alcohol and tobacco advertising. In the late 1960s she began her exploration of the connection between advertising and several public health issues, including violence against women, eating disorders, and addiction, and launched a movement to promote media literacy as a way to end and prevent these problems.

A radical and original idea at the time, this approach is now mainstream and an integral part of most prevention programs. Her films, lectures, and TV appearances have been seen by millions throughout the world. 

Kilbourne was named by The New York Times Magazine one of the three most popular speakers on college campuses. She is the creator of the renowned "Killing Us Softly: Advertising's Image of Women" film series and the author of the award-winning book Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel and co-author of So Sexy So Soon: The New Sexualized Childhood and What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Kids.

News of the Day
SEXY VIDEO: How the Media failed women in 2013 
SCI SHOW VIDEO: The Teenage Brain (sex hormones)
SCIENCE VIDEO: Making human/animal monsters
SCI SHOW VIDEO: How to save the planet (from us)
Supreme Court removes separation of church and state, allows (offensive, exclusively Christian) prayer at town council meetings
Dozens killed in Slovyansk as Ukraine continues assault 
White House pressures CEOs not to attend talks in Russia 
Nigeria: Fake "Boko Haram" to sell abducted schoolgirls 
Occupy Wall St. activist Cecily McMillan guilty of assault 
U.S. to impose sanctions on both sides of South Sudan conflict 
U.S. recognizes Syrian opposition offices as foreign mission 
U.S. unveils 10-year deal with Djibouti, site of key drone base 
Philippines, US launch military drills; Filipinos protest troop deal 
Ex-deputy nuclear weapons cmdr reprimanded in gambling case 
Report: NRA, restaurant lobby monitored fast food protests
Sheriff candidates urge supervisors to delay jail expansion plan
Cornel West speaks at against solitary-confinement in NY

How to be "cool" (guide)

Editors, Wisdom Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal (A MODERN GUIDE TO LIFE)

Hey, don't look at me, creep!

You know, first thing you want to do to be "cool" is click on a lot of ads, like especially the ones that say "free." They usually end up costing more. And spending buku bucks is definitely cools-ville, holmes.
 
Next you want to do all things cell phone/mobile -- tweet like there's no idea too stupid to talk about, and start with "OMG, can't believe she said that!" so ppl will know you're serious. Instagram it, f Facebook tho, dump that. SnapChat it, baby, same corporation.

(Double Take) Be totally HOT...and still have problems

Hey, look at those guys!

And makes lots of friends. It's easy! Just say, "Hey, 'friend' me, ese! I'm aiming for 10,000 likes!" Always talk with exclamation marks. Oh, and, aim for 10,000 likes. That's a good number of friends to have on social media in case you want to sell girl scout cookies outside of a medical dispensary or something. Get all krazy; like, y b norml? Listen to the s/he devils.

Be a gavone. We don't give an f'n s, b-tches!

And get a motto. You can have ours: "Always be good, except when you're bad. Choose to be happy, except when you're sad. Don't quote me on this, don't hold me to that. Should you live a good life? I guess it shall be."

Or how 'bout JC's? "Cut me some slack. I can't make up my mind. Get off of my @$$. I heard y'all the first time. I'll get to it eventually. Just leave me be!"

And never be sarcastic or ironic; peeps hate that cuz u'd have to think 'n stuff, and who's got time for that, yeah?

(Mr. Show with Bob and David) JC "Jeepers Creepers Semi-Star" the Musical

This guy, this guy right here, he's got it.

There's another way. But it's a big hassle. And who needs that? Why not just wake up late, bake, eat things in crinkly plastic bags, and breathe with ya mouth, and blow yer nose later?

Way back, like, in the beforetime, in India, this guy was totally done with the party-n-the-palace life, the naked dancing girls and musicians, the soma and ambrosia, the hoopla and the sports meets... 

The Four Noble Truths are all that's needed.

Quest. Why not seek FREEDOM? Be set free by the highest liberating truths.

1. There is a thirst, a TANHA. 2. It gives rise to terrible feelings of dissatisfaction and disappointment, to dookie, to DUKKHA. 3. There is a COOL, cooling, quenching, slaking allayer of all ills, NIRVANA. 4. And there's a way to get to it, a MAGGA. So it is possible to be free.

• Dear Sex Diary
• Sex vs. Meditation?
• Start a "Something Spring" (riot) 
• We love sex! - Harvard study agrees
• Dance: We be the ILLEST in here (FM) 
• Is Carcass cooler than Club Cooee?

3,000-year-old Egyptian PORN found (video)

Ashley Wells and Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly; Bettany Hughes, History Channel (video)

In this modern sexualized advertisement, a scarlet woman sells fizzy, gooey soda pop (BI).

WARNING: Sex is discussed and crudely drawn, carved in stone, and scrawled as graffiti!

 

People had sex in ancient Egypt? Surely, it was only for procreative purposes! That's what we were taught in school, church, and college. Now we come to find there was *blush* something called the Turin Erotic Papyrus -- shocking pornography from Egypt. The hieroglyphs show penises, eroticism, orgies, wanton abandon, pleasure, even bestiality. Is it the "gods" (devas and asuras), royalty, or ordinary citizens and slaves? Fortunately, graffiti survives from those ancient pyramids, tunnels, and tombs.

• VIDEO: 4,000-year-old PORN found in Bible

Kama Sutra temple (uglypeople.se)

Now that we think of it, does it get any more erotic than ancient India and its temples celebrating -- and depicting -- sex manuals as temple walls? Of course, there are the ancient Greeks who are credited with inventing Western sexuality, and what the Romans were up to (think Caligula), well, who can be surprised that other countries and cultures knew about the birds, bees, and linga and yonis?

A papyrus scroll so hot, so lust inspiring, so puerile and swinger-like... How, Egypt?

David Mamet's "Lost Masterpieces of Pornography" w/ Kristen Bell, Ed O'Neill, Ricky Jay

Complaint: Why ya gotta talk about SEX?!

Ashley Wells, CC Liu, Seven, Amber Larson, Pat Macpherson, Seth Auberon, Wisdom Quarterly

That is so disgusting! Sex and Buddhism together?

Lost in translation (en espanol*)

COMPLAINT: I'm no prude but... Why do you have to talk about SEX?!

My gratitude to Wisdom Quarterly for posting some articles and therapeutic workshops regarding sexuality ("Sex, Intimacy, Communication on Buddhist the Path"), but why?

In the world of sensuality, desire, and intimate sexual relationships, I believe that they are educational to many. HOWEVER, as we ALL know, practitioners at different levels may have different needs! For those, like me, who have been on the path for many years and have transcended those worldly desires and felt free will not need any therapy!

Furthermore, although observing celibacy is not required in many spiritual practices for laypeople, enjoying sex, especially with multiple partners (over-indulging in sensual pleasures) is certainly not  encouraged. Do you encourage it? Why is WQ talking about food, too? I'm not done yet! I want to be heard!!

REPLY: Dear Madam and/or Sir, Consider contributing something on the topic. Anyone who reads one day of Wisdom Quarterly may be misled. But anyone who reads many days will begin to see some balance in our coverage.

WQ: public relations geniuses (lol)

We do not encourage sexual misconduct/clinging to sense desire. We condemn it. It is not the path. But most people may not actively be on the path or seeking it just yet. What should they do? Live lives of shame and guilt, hide or be frustrated, lie to others and deceive themselves? Sex is here. Let's deal with it, candidly and honestly with care for our relationships and the place of this part of our corporeal reality. Believe it or not, there are uptight members of this Judeo-Atheistic-Christian society. 

Our human bodies are fine (examiner.com)

Wisdom Quarterly is a sex-positive site: Like FEMEN and OCCUPY and PUSSY RIOT and SLUTWALK and GO TOPLESS and CRASS, we use our bodies to demonstrate and call attention to ill-done deeds around the world. Let intolerant/orthodox Christian fundamentalists, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Satanists, and gatekeeping scientists condemn us. But we will nevertheless cover "forbidden" topics. We welcome all help toward voluntary celibacy for temporary intensive-practitioners, such as those on retreat or pursuing a period of monasticism. Please, offer our readers help on this popular subject.

 

Right-wing Republican Jesus

COMPLAINT cont'd: I may not be able to offer help since I am not a "sex" guru. I just wanted to point out the fact that there are lay practitioners of different kinds of spiritual practices who have realized greater satisfying fulfillment from spiritual practices than from sex. They may not need sex therapies in order to please their partner(s). Of course, I agree with that most humans still have basic needs to fulfill. Therapies suggested by Wisdom Quarterly could be educational and helpful. However, "sex" may not need to be "encouraged" in the name of religion! Why don't you stupid tramps give it a rest? Many great sages of different kinds of spiritual practices embrace a life of celibacy, although they might not be required to do so. However, without judging people by religious standards, I have nothing against those who like to enjoy hot sex. It's just personal choice. As for me, I agree with the teachings of Yoganada [Editor: SRF's Paramhansa Yogananda] and Jesus [St. Issa] on "relationship." Get a life.

*TRANSLATION: A boy wearing a skull rock 'n roll tee-shirt is being scolded by a Catholic priest, who is saying: "Look, son, I don't have anything against rock, but doesn't it seem morbid and in poor taste to you that someone would use an image of a cadaver as a marketing strategy?" Poster reads "Church versus Rock: Not too different."

Sex, Intimacy, Communication on Buddhist Path

Seth Auberon and Gary Sanders, Wisdom Quarterly

"Adore," the next "Lolita" with tables turned on boys by cougars (Gaumont/zimbio.com)

Sex, Intimacy, and Communication on the Buddhist Path

Don't stare at my chest; it's censored!

A unique series will explore what the Buddha taught as principles for lay practitioners regarding relationships and sexuality. The format will include meditation, Dharma talks, and open discussions.

 

Facilitator JoAnna Harper will also leap forward 2,600 years to a growing population of non-monastic Buddhist practitioners living life in the world of sensuality, desire, and intimate sexual relationships. Relatively little is found on these topics in Buddhism. 

 

Sex on the brain (GM)

But this class series is a beautiful opportunity to discover our own relationship to these sensitive topics on how to live life fully while causing less distress to ourselves and others around us.

This four-week series covers the third precept -- not causing harm with our sexuality, renouncing clinging through voluntary celibacy, how a strong mindfulness practice can open us to greater intimacy with others and deepen our communication skills.

• Four-Week Series with JoAnna Harper
• Mondays starting Oct. 7, 7:30-9:00 pm
• Against the Stream, Melrose

COST: $20 per evening, plus dana for the teacher. $10 discount if paid in advance. Scholarships and work study are available and no one will be turned away for lack of funds. INFO/REGISTER

JoAnna Harper (spiritrock.org)

JoAnna Harper has been exploring and practicing multiple traditions since 1999.  In 2005, her focus landed on Buddhism and Vipassana (insight meditation) in particular, which is the basis of most of her current teachings. She facilitates adult and teen weeklong silent retreats, day longs, and weekly classes; she also works with at-risk youth and others in institutional and school settings. She has been trained in council facilitation through the Ojai Foundation, is a graduate of Noah Levine's Against the Stream teacher training program, and is currently in the Spirit Rock/IMS/IMC four-year teacher training. She is a grateful mother of two children, CJ and Harris, who are her main inspirations.

• 4300 Melrose Ave., Hollywood/LA (parking around center)
• Chairs, mats, and cushions provided.
• Against the Stream.org or (323) 665-4300
• Donate to the ATS scholarship fund