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Saturday, November 10, 2012

Would the Buddha carry an iPad? (Yes, if...)


What is it with Thailand, the Apple Corporation, and Buddhist temples lately? First, abbot of the Dhammakaya temple said that former Apple CEO Steve Jobs is kickin’ it in the afterlife as a mid-level deva with his own celestial palace in space. Now a temple in Thailand’s Chom Phra district has decided that the Buddha carries around an iPad with him wherever he goes.
  
Ban Jabok-Ban Nong Leg temple in Thailand’s northeastern Surin province is now trying to send a message by making the Buddha hold an iPad in their next statue, says The Bangkok Post:
Traditionally, Phra Sivali, a pose of the Buddha, carries a walking stick, an umbrella, and a bowl, and is worshipped for those seeking love, luck, and prosperity.
But the one to be built by the temple will have one hand carrying the umbrella -- and the other one clutches one of the innovative bestsellers launched by the late Steve Jobs instead of the stick.
[WQ: This is quite incorrect. Venerable (Phra) Sivali is not "a pose"; he was a famous enlightened Buddhist monk, now a popular and powerful source of veneration because of his incredibly good karma and resultant good luck. He easily obtained all he wanted. Many Thai good luck charms and amulets are based on him as a well known arahant. Theravada Buddhism does not have many such prosperity figures, so Southeast Asia loves Great Sivali. Therefore, this entire Bangkok Post story is misleading: It will not be "the Buddha" holding a posh iPad, a modern symbol of abundance and cool, but Sivali.]

Thai Temple Says Buddha Should Carry An iPadThis might seem like an attention-grabbing gimmick, and maybe it kind of is. But the message the temple wants to send is good and forward-facing. They want to stress that monks need to embrace the technology of the modern world in getting their message across:
  
“Monks have to catch up with the changes and use those gadgets, such as the iPad, to lure the [younger] generation to the temple. Monks can use them to teach Dhamma to those who live their life with new communication technologies,” a temple spokesman said.

Apple CEO reborn in space?
Seven Dharmachari and Amber Dorrian, Wisdom Quarterly (COMMENTARY)
Bright golden complexion of the Buddha entering nirvana, Thailand (Luped/flickr.com)
  
Would a Buddha statue carry an iPad? Yes, if... it were in Thailand. The Buddha himself, not so much. In his day he delighted in letting go of those things which are powerful sources of grasping and clinging in the world.

In his day he instructed his disciples in pursuing the joy and liberation that comes from letting go of impermanent, unsatisfactory, impersonal things and, moreover, the personal phenomena we cling to as ourselves. That can only be let go of through wisdom, as insight uproots what is otherwise impossible to drop.

But Thailand's massive lay meditation movement, known as Dhammakaya ("body of the Dharma"), is kidding about Steve Jobs in "heaven," right?

Buddhism is atheistic? No There is no all-producing creator God; there are many gods (brahmas), many of whom are creative and powerful. Buddhism is scientific? Maybe. It is certainly the spiritual tradition most consistent and amenable to science. Buddhism is nihilistic? No.
  
Unlike modern nerds who think or hope or fear everything ends at death, that's not what happens. Conventionally speaking, life carries on like nothing happened. Ultimately speaking, "we" are dying from moment to moment and do not need to wait for bodily collapse/death to start crying about it or feeling relieved.

"Everything (all conditioned phenomena) is hurtling towards destruction; work out your liberation with diligence," the historical Buddha is reputed to have said (Mahaparinibbana Sutra, DN 16). These were his last words before passing into final nirvana. The fully enlightened do not die, because "death" entails being reborn (as well as currently existing in some ultimate sense). But we do die, conventionally speaking. And Steve Jobs has. With the coming together of the aggregates, there is renewed-becoming an instant later.
  
And there are many worlds in space to be reborn in. "Space" (akasha) to the ancients was called "sky." That "celestial" world above is the endless blue that goes to black nightly. There are many levels superior to the human plane. It is not too difficult to be reborn into these worlds of devas ("shining ones"), which are increasingly more subtle and refined, brilliant and long-lived. The first two "heavens" are far more advanced technologically and closely related to this world. The proof, the scientific evidence?

They can be seen now before dying. Because the knowledge is filtered and kept from us does not mean it is concealed form all scientists. And when they become whistleblowers telling us what they've seen and worked on, the knowledge-filterers tell us they're bonkers and not to be listened to. There are two ways to see, internally and externally. The first is harder but more convincing; the second is tough but will leave one feeling bonkers.
  
(What is it? Get a job in a scientific field in academia or the private sector then get recruited to work on black budget project, top secret stuff. Go to Washington through underground highspeed trains through tunnels beneath this country and scattered around the planet, or to Area 51, or Dreamland, or the Skunkworks, or any other secret site).

The first is developing insight (vipassana) and wisdom (prajna). This does not come from studying and thinking, but from intensive serenity-concentration and mindfulness-contemplation. Good luck. It takes effort. So for everyone who would rather study, the texts are there. Drink deep, for a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

We won't like the answer we see; it's too much like the Christianity we laugh at as moronic and senseless. The truth is more mystic than systematic. But Buddhist practice is great for being systematic resulting in mysticism, rather than mysticism resulting in confusion.

(Dhammakaya International)

All religious traditions teach something worthwhile. It is not their fault if we do not understand what they are trying to say. The shamans were right, the mystics were onto something. But how do we get from here to there? There's an eightfold path that lays out the basics. And there is a very detailed 37 Requisites of Enlightenment that lays bare all the Buddha taught as necessary for seeing and experiencing enlightenment in this very life.

Steve Jobs in a heaven (akasha deva world)? It could be, but we doubt it. After selling millions of human beings out to the monsters on the planet who would spy on everyone, control us, damage our DNA, entrance us, lull us into sleep, enslave us, wipe us out? If he was a man caught up in his work, obsessed with innovation, okay. Great.

But if he was a man who sold the world for earthly success and fame, then... It doesn't look good for him. A "bad" person can go to a heaven. Christianity understands this, but Christians don't. It is not by being forgiven or absolved for our karma. It is by being fortunate at the moment of passing from this life to the next, by having a skillful, useful, lovely act (deed, karma, intention, will, fruition, impulsion) come up for us.

That will be a lot easier to do if we begin to calm our minds/hearts now and store up many more beneficial acts than detrimental ones. Why do harm when it only comes back around to us to harm us? What did Jobs do? What else did he do? He surely did terrible things (just ask the FBI and CIA and NSA). But all his hands toting iProducts love him, too. Look, there's a Buddha statue holding one!

So if he did acts motivated by nongreed, nonhatred/fear, nondelusion, then he is quite possibly in a better place. These heavens are not permanent, but they are much longer-lived than this human realm. There are other human and human-like realms, too. Here is a simplification that sounds an awful lot like Christianity and even Islam, like what shamans see and rabbis teach. Rather than laugh, ask: In what way is this true, too? More (with insert photos explained for those activating Google Translate)


Ask a Brahmin: Divali (Festival of Lights)?

Wisdom Quarterly: ASK A BRAHMIN with Swami Adrishananda and Yogi Nandhi, Diwali 2012
Diwali: Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth, on lotus with white elephants symbolizing Ganesha.
     
Kwan Yin, Mt. Emei, Samantabhadra (h20002h)
Wisdom Quarterly: What is Divali or as you say, Deepavali?
Swami Adrishananda: It is a five-day Festival of Lights that begins today, a grand celebration in India. As the days wane, cultures around the world celebrate light. The promise that spring will return after winter, that light and the Sun will triumph over dark and the cold. We are ringing in the good and the bright. Pagans and Christians in Europe deck the halls with boughs of holly, tinsel strips, vigil-candles...
WQ: So it is about renewal and holding hope in our hearts?
  
SA: In practice this pooja (observance) is all about the new, a new heart. Everyone wears new clothes and sings bhajans like on New Year's, "May old acquaintance be forgot..." [Listen: Auld Lang Syne]. Things are forgiven and one looks forward through the darkness in search of new light. Fresh garments, fresh thoughts, it's a new start. This is the meaning.
  
Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva
WQ: Tapas Yogi Nandhi says "higher consciousness" is taking place. He explains that in the past, masters like Maharishi Mahesh Yogi declared that when a tipping point or critical mass of the population meditate, humanity steps into the threshold of higher awareness, intellect, and peace. We gain stillness of mind (samadhi), the first objective of meditation, and that tranquility allows what he calls "the streaming Source energy."
SA: That is quite true. The eight-limbs of yoga, asht-anga or Raja Yoga, is Patanjali's formulation, like the earlier Buddha Gautama's formulation. Lord Buddha was a Hindu...
  
WQ: Not really, brahmana. There was no "Hinduism" at that time.
SA: His father the king followed the Vedas, India's scriptures, and the customs like Deepavali!
WQ: Those are the customs of the brahmins (temple priests who worship Brahma), not the shramans (spiritual wanderers who seek direct and self-reliant experience of the highest truths). They both aspire to become "noble," not by birth like caste-loving brahmins, but by karma, by their deeds in this life, like caste-rejecting shramans or shamans.
  
SA: But his father the king...
WQ: ...followed what his brahmin advisers and ministers advised, that's true. But he was a kshatriya (warrior caste noble). Many Indians say the Buddha was a Hindu as if there was no difference between Shankara's systematization of the Vedas, Puranas, Vedanta, and Patanjali's yoga sutras and the Buddha's message. But there are many points of difference. Was Mahavira [the founder of Jainism, who lived at the time of the Buddha, many centuries before Shankara) a Hindu?
SA: He is honored by Hindus as well, like Lord Buddha.
WQ: That's wonderful. But both the Buddha and Mahavira and the other "heretics" as well, rejected the Vedas as ultimate authority. It would be like Jesus...
SA: Who?
WQ: Issa.
SA: O, Christ.
WQ: Yes, it would be like Saint Issa rejecting Jewish scripture and writing a New Testament.
SA: They did! Christ was a Hindu.
WQ: Was Moses a Hindu? Well, then, we're all Hindus because India has such an ancient pre-India spiritual tradition. The Buddha didn't come to certify the Vedas or to say they are nonsense. They are very valuable. But that is not his message. The Buddha had something to say beyond that. And Lord Issa had something new to say. The Buddha and Marhavira became shramanas, like shamans. They taught their disciples, male and female, high caste and low caste, the way to attaining spiritual perfection in this life, not by being reborn as brahmins first.
SA: So the Buddha observed Divali?
WQ: Probably, everyone in India does. Not formally, Buddhists do not do it as a "Buddhist thing." But the Jains do do it as a Jain thing.
SA: Christ does, and the Christians call it Christmas. Christ lived in India and took that back to Jerusalem.
WQ: But the ancient Jews had a festival of lights, Channukah.
SA: That's Deepavali! Jews lived in India, in Jammu & Kashmir, and according to Swami Abhedananda came to study with the Buddhists.

  In honor of feminine energy Yogi Nandhi honors Narayani, wife of Vishnu

WQ: Why do you call it Deepavali and not Divali?
SA: The same. Dipa is light. This is in honor of Maha Laxmi (Great Lakshmi), the goddess and Lord Vishnu's consort. [Hinduism explains the Buddha as simply having been an incarnation of the triune God Vishnu.]
WQ: What about Radha, the divine feminine?
SA: The same. Laxmi represents Radha also and all the goddesses (devis).
WQ: Tapas Yogi Nandhi quotes Mahatma Gandhi: "The human voice can never reach the distance that is covered by the still small voice of conscience." And he says that still small voice of conscience in unison is very strong, with scientific backing. It enables minds/hearts to meditate, practice Raja or Royal Yoga, Reiki, Tai Chi, karate, labyrinth walking, contemplative practices to help us remember that we are really spiritual having a physical experience.
  
SA: Yes, he's right. All is one, and all traditions say to practice non-harming, ahimsa.
WQ: So it's everyday in every practice, but do you have a special celebration?
SA: Yes, today, in the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley. And I will be chanting Lord Buddha's mantra Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha.
WQ: Actually that's not...
SA: Not what?
WQ: ...not a bad idea. We're all ONE on Divali. Avalokiteshvara would be glad to hear it, and there's one personage we can agree on.
SA: Namaste.

Kelebihan OS Windows 8




Sistem operasi dari microsoft ini menjadi sorotan berbagai media karena kemampuan dan kelebihannya. Anda sendiri pasti sudah mendengar sistem operasi bernama Windows 8, Belajar Ilmu Komputer juga baru saja mencoba melakukan installasi os Windows 8 sekaligus mencobanya dan hasilnya memang menemukan beberapa kelebihan yang tidak dimiliki os windows versi sebelumnya. Beberapa kelebihan windows 8

"The Bitter Buddha" (comedy)

Wisdom Quarterly, Eddie Pepitone () via David Feldman (PLAY SHOW)


Fat happy Budai (speakinggod)
"The Bitter Buddha" is coming to theaters and on-demand in late 2012. Screenings and news can be found at TheBitterBuddha (Facebook) and TheBitterBuddha.com. This documentary is an unfiltered look at Eddie Pepitone, a real "comic's comic." His life is on full display in this comedic portrait of creativity, enlightenment, and rage
  
A film by Steven Feinartz. Animated segment: audio courtesy of WTF with the Marc Maron podcast. Original animation by Allen Mezquida.
 
"The Bitter Buddha" takes an unconventional journey through the life of one of America's most original comedic voices.
 
"Want to feel like you've discovered something new? That you're watching a comedian poised to hit critical mass? This is your movie."
- The Chicago Tribune
 
Featuring comedians: Eddie Pepitone, Patton Oswalt, Marc Maron, Sarah Silverman, Zach Galifianakis, Paul Provenza, Sean Conroy, Dana Gould, Todd Barry, Todd Glass, Andy Kindler, BJ Novak, James Adomian, Paul Gilmartin, Paul F. Tompkins, Andy Daly, Jen Kirkman, Jim Earl, Leo Allen, Matt Oswalt, Paul F. Tompkins, Rob Huebel, Scott Aukerman, Todd Barry, and more.
  
LISTEN Fridays or archived for 90 days at KPFK.org

Witnessing my thoughts in meditation (video)

Seven and , Wisdom Quarterly
Dubious Buddha quote or a free translation of an actual sentiment (H. Kopp Delaney)
  
It's almost as if people have forgotten that the world ends this December. The Mayan Calendar's 2012, Gibson's real-life Apocalypto, a Rapture, some Revelation (unveiling), the Second Coming (of Quetzalcoatl)... Then what?
 
"There will be no coffins when you and I die, no consecrated ground, no sin to end all sins and angels with scorched wings -- and if the thought of it stings: Sorry, God, there's no coffins, just bloody jellies," Nick Blinko insists.

"You're trippin," they'll say. The breath goes in; the breath goes out. The baby gets in, water's dirty, pull the plug, Bye-bye, baby. Where was I? Breath goes in; breath goes out.... Why was I born, and where will I go next? Uptown? Downtown? Another town?
  
"No coffins, just bloody jellies. Glance at the nice town. See the war plan it owns. There'll be mass graves. So I want my death grant, 30 pounds, in advance. Buy now. Don't leave to chance. At least it's the final kill. No coffins, just bloody jellies."
 
Neither Buddhist, Hindu, nor Jain sacred texts say the world ends on any magical date like 12-21-12. Nor does shaman lore from anywhere around the world. Maybe only the West ends? The world is ALWAYS ending. Why are we holding our breath for a big kerrang?

  
Oh. Breathe in/breathe out, breathe in/breathe out... Who knows more, the Sayadaw or the Lama? Neither of them say, GAME OVER; no need to buy X-mas gifts this year. "No coffins, just bloody jellies. This their creation, to purify the planet, a new beginning, no it's not destruction!" Ah, Blinky's smart and prescient.

Sitting on top of the world, the Himalaya. All is still, all is quiet. We can concentrate.

Amazing Afghan Buddha discoveries (video)

Brent E. Huffman; Wisdom Quarterly via TheWorld.org
"The Buddhas of Aynak" (teaser) by archeologist and filmmaker Prof. Brent E. Huffman, Northwestern University.

Mining threatens new Afghan Buddhas (audio)

David Leveille, TheWorld.org (Geo Quiz, Nov. 9, 2012); ZenPundit; Wisdom Quarterly
A gold-plated seated Buddha overlooks China's impending MCC mine (Brent E. Huffman/CNN).

  
CIA's Taliban demolishing Buddha (CNN/XTL)
For [The World's] "Geo Quiz" picture: a golden Buddha sitting atop a mountain of copper [gold, and rare earth minerals]. We’re looking for one of the largest underground copper deposits in the world. It’s in an eastern province of Afghanistan southeast of Kabul.

A Chinese company has purchased the right to mine the site. And cash-strapped Afghanistan stands to reap billions of dollars in revenue from the deal. But there’s a hitch.

(TheAbdaliBacha) Filmmaker Brent E. Huffman addresses the effort to save an ancient Buddhist archeological site from Chinese mining interests.
  
Bamiyan Buddha (culturalpropertylaw)
There’s an ancient Buddhist monastery [the oldest known and perhaps the most magnificent, situated near Siddhartha's birthplace, the actual Kapilavastu] there and the site is full of centuries old Buddha statues and artifacts.
  
Mining operations threaten all of them, and archaeologists are scrambling to save what they can. So which is more important? The copper representing Afghanistan’s economic potential -- or the Buddhas representing its cultural heritage?
  
For now just tackle this simpler question: Name the site where ancient Buddhas may soon be destroyed by a copper mine that’s set to start operations in December [2012]. Answer + Photos + Video

American war criminal, CIA Chief "fired" today

Pfc. Sandoval, Pat Macpherson, Ashley Wells, Wisdom Quarterly (COMMENTARY)

Warlord, cheater, CIA Chief, disgraced 4-star US Army General Petraeus fired or told to "resign" before having to testify under oath about Benghazi response (bigstory.ap.org)
 
Medals for killing off the record (M-S)
Former head of the US War on Afghanistan in charge of surges (just as he had committed similar atrocities in our name in Iraq), Four Star General Petraeus (pronounced: "betray us") got caught up in an FBI investigation that revealed hundreds of inappropriate and improper messages between "Saint Petraeus" -- as he was known by many in the military, The Company (CIA), and West Point (his alma mater) where he was related by marriage to the man in charge there -- and his mistress. Every drone is a war crime. 
  
The Other Woman, Broadwell (Telegraph)
But Gen. Petraeus did more than target "high value assets" for murder (internationally illegal political assassinations) via distant screens, he also saw to it that the military-industrial complex (MIC) got everything it paid and wished for from its preplanned invasion of Afghanistan. Cheating on his wife of 37 years was not enough to cause him to quit, a mere lapse in virtue for a man in the business of killing, invading sovereign territory, and engaging in Psychological Operations (propaganda's new name, known in Newspeak as PsyOps).
  
The CIA helped destroy Bamiyan statues (CNN)
He was given the opportunity to do the honorable thing of resigning under duress since he had compromised American security, a crime Pfc. Bradley Manning is being put through the wringer for doing in the capacity of a legally-protected whistleblower, duty-bound to report the crimes he did. Now the newly re-elected President Obama has the opportunity to thank the MIC that arranged for his second term by letting them decide who will now make a better hawk than the disgraced general. What will happen to him? He is likely to sink into obscurity as the President of Princeton University.

Buddhist connection
Mes Aynak Mine, former Buddhist complex (CNN)
Moreover, what will this mean to the priceless Buddhist treasures in Mes Aynak, Logar Province, Afghanistan? There is hope that a change in plans might allow them to survive. Yet it seems more likely that the replacement will attempt to prove himself valuable to the MIC via more surges. This will impoverish Afghanistan further, making them desperate for income from China, and scare China further, which will make it more determined to extract copper and the much more valuable rare earth minerals used in the production of electronics, like the slave-manufactured iPhones in the enormous Foxconn plantation.