From "The Way of the Bodhisattva" by Shāntideva
Translated from Tibetan by the Padmakara Translation Group
5. Vigilant Introspection
1.
Those who wish to keep the trainings
Must with perfect self-possession guard their minds.
Without this guard upon the mind,
The trainings cannot be preserved.
2.
Wandering where it will, the elephant of mind,
Will bring us down to torment in the hell of Unrelenting Pain.
No worldly beast, however wild and crazed,
Could bring upon us such calamities.
3.
If, with mindfulness’ rope,
The elephant of mind is tethered all around,
Our fears will come to nothing,
Every virtue drop into our hands.
4.
Tigers, lions, elephants, and bears,
Snakes and every hostile foe,
Those who guard the prisoners in hell,
Ghosts and ghouls and every evil wraith,
5.
By simple binding of this mind alone,
All these things are likewise bound.
By simple taming of this mind alone,
All these things are likewise tamed.
6.
For all anxiety and fear,
And pain in boundless quantity,
Their source and wellspring is the mind itself,
As He who spoke the truth declared.
7.
The hellish instruments to torture living beings—
Who invented them for such intent?
Who has forged this burning iron ground;
Whence have all these demon-women sprung?
8.
All are but the offspring of the sinful mind,
This the mighty Sage has said.
Throughout the triple world therefore
There is no greater bane than mind itself.
9.
If transcendent giving is
To dissipate the poverty of beings,
In what way—since the poor are always with us—
Have former Buddhas practiced it?
10.
Transcendent giving, so the teachings say,
Consists in the intention to bestow on every being
All one owns, together with the fruits of such a gift.
It is indeed a matter of the mind itself.
11.
Where could beings, fishes, and the rest,
Be placed to keep them safe from being killed?
Deciding to refrain from every harmful act
Is said to be transcendent discipline.
12.
Harmful beings are everywhere like space itself.
Impossible it is that all should be suppressed.
But let this angry mind alone be overthrown,
And it’s as though all foes had been subdued.
13.
To cover all the earth with sheets of leather—
Where could such amounts of skin be found?
But with the leather soles of just my shoes
It is as though I cover all the earth!
14.
And thus the outer course of things
I myself cannot restrain.
But let me just restrain my mind,
And what is left to be restrained?
15.
A clear intent can fructify
And bring us birth in such as Brahmā’s realm.
The acts of body and of speech are less—
They do not generate a like result.
16.
Recitations and austerities,
Long though they may prove to be,
If practiced with distracted mind,
Are futile, so the Knower of Reality has said.
17.
All those who fail to understand
The secret of the mind, the greatest of all things,
Although they wish for joy and sorrow’s end,
Will wander to no purpose, uselessly.
18.
Therefore I will take in hand
And well protect this mind of mine.
What use to me are many disciplines,
If I can’t guard and discipline my mind?
19.
When in wild, unruly crowds,
I’m careful and attentive of my wounds;
Likewise, when in evil company,
This wound, my mind, I’ll constantly protect.
20.
For if I carefully protect my wounds
Because I fear the pain of minor injuries,
Why should I not protect the wound that is my mind,
For fear of being crushed beneath the cliffs of hell?
21.
If this is how I act and live,
Then even in the midst of evil folk,
Or even with fair women, all is well.
My steady keeping of the vows will not decline.
22.
My property, my honor—all can freely go,
My body and my livelihood as well.
And even other virtues may decline,
But never will I let my mind regress.
23.
All you who would protect your minds,
Maintain your mindfulness and introspection;
Guard them both, at cost of life and limb,
I join my hands, beseeching you.
24.
Those disabled by ill health
Are helpless, powerless to act.
The mind, when likewise cramped by ignorance,
Is impotent and cannot do its work.
25.
For those who have no introspection,
Though they hear the teachings, ponder them, or meditate,
Like water seeping from a leaking jar,
Their learning will not settle in their memories.
26.
Many are endowed with joyful diligence.
They’re learned also and imbued with faith,
But through the fault of lacking introspection,
They will not escape the stain of sin and downfall.
27.
Lack of introspection is a thief;
It slinks behind when mindfulness abates.
And all the merit we have gathered in
It steals; and down we go to lower realms.
28.
Defilements are a band of robbers
Looking for their chance to injure us.
They steal our virtue, when their moment comes,
And batter out the lives of happy destinies.
29.
Therefore from the gateway of my mind
My mindfulness shall not have leave to stray.
And if it wanders, it shall be recalled
By thoughts of anguish in the lower worlds.
30.
Through fear, and by the counsels of their abbots,
And staying ever in their teacher’s company—
In those endowed with fortune and devotion
Mindfulness is cultivated easily.
31.
“The Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas both
Possess unclouded vision, seeing everything:
All lies open to their gaze,
And likewise I am always in their presence.”
32.
One who has such thoughts as these
Will gain devotion and a sense of fear and shame.
For such a one, the memory of Buddha
Rises frequently before the mind.
33.
When mindfulness is stationed as a sentinel,
A guard upon the threshold of the mind,
Introspection will be likewise there,
Returning when forgotten or dispersed.
34.
If at the outset, when I check my mind,
I find that it is tainted with some fault,
I shall be still and self-possessed,
Unmoving like a piece of wood.
35.
I shall never, vacantly,
Allow my gaze to wander all around,
But rather with a focused mind
Will always go with eyes cast down.
36.
But that I may relax my gaze,
I’ll sometimes raise my eyes and look around.
And if there are some people standing in my sight,
I’ll look at them and greet them with a friendly word.
37.
And yet, to spy the dangers on the road,
I’ll scrutinize the four directions one by one.
And when I stop to rest, I’ll turn around
And look behind me, back along my way.
38.
I will survey the land, in front, behind,
And carry on or else retrace my steps.
In every time and place therefore
I’ll know my needs and act accordingly.
39.
“My body shall remain like this.”
Embarking thus upon a given course,
From time to time I’ll verify
Inquiring how my body is disposed.
40.
This rampant elephant, my mind,
Once tied to that great post, reflection on the Teachings,
Must now be watched with all my strength
That it might never slip away.
41.
Those who strive to master concentration
Should never for an instant be distracted.
They should always watch their minds, inquiring,
“Where is now my mind engaged?”
42.
When this becomes impossible,
In case of danger or festivity, I’ll act as it seems best.
For it is taught that rules of discipline
May be relaxed in times of generosity.
43.
When something has been planned and started on,
Attention should not drift to other things.
With thoughts fixed on the chosen target,
That and that alone should be pursued.
44.
Behaving in this way, all tasks are well performed,
And nothing is achieved by doing otherwise.
If thus we act, the secondary defilement,
Lack of introspection, will not grow.
45.
And if you find yourself engaged
In different kinds of pointless conversation
And curious sights, the like of which abound—
Be rid of all delight and taste for them.
46.
And if you find you’re grubbing in the soil,
Or pulling up the grass or tracing idle patterns on the ground,
Remembering the precepts of the Blissful One,
In fear, restrain yourself at once.
47.
And when you feel the wish to move about,
Or even to express yourself in speech,
First examine what is in your mind.
For steadfast ones should act correctly.
48.
When the urge arises in your mind
To feelings of desire or angry hate,
Do not act! Be silent, do not speak!
And like a log of wood be sure to stay.
49.
And when your mind is wild or filled with mockery,
Or filled with pride and haughty arrogance,
Or when you would expose another’s secret guilt,
To bring up old dissensions or to act deceitfully,
50.
Or when you want to fish for praise,
Or criticize and spoil another’s name,
Or use harsh language, sparring for a fight,
It’s then that like a log you should remain.
51.
And when you yearn for wealth, attention, fame,
A circle of retainers serving you,
And when you look for honors, recognition,
It’s then that like a log you should remain.
52.
And when you are inclined to overlook another’s need
And want to get the best thing for yourself,
And when you feel the urge to speak,
It’s then that like a log you should remain.
53.
Impatience, indolence, faintheartedness,
And likewise arrogance and careless speech,
Attachment to your side—when these arise,
It’s then that like a log you should remain.
54.
Examine thus yourself from every side.
Take note of your defilements and your pointless efforts.
For thus the heroes on the Bodhisattva path
Seize firmly on such faults with proper remedies.
55.
With perfect and unyielding faith,
With steadfastness, respect, and courtesy,
With conscientiousness and awe,
Work calmly for the happiness of others.
56.
Let us not be downcast by the warring wants
Of childish persons quarreling.
Their thoughts are bred from conflict and emotion.
Let us understand and treat them lovingly.
57.
When acting irreproachably,
For our sake or the sake of others,
Let us always bear in mind the thought
That we are self-less, like an apparition.
58.
This supreme freedom of a human life,
So long awaited, now at last attained!
Reflecting always thus, maintain your mind
As steady as Sumeru, king of mountains.
59.
If, O mind, you will not be aggrieved,
When vultures with their love of flesh
Are tugging at this body all around,
Why are you so besotted with it now?
60.
Why, O mind, do you protect this body,
Taking it to be your own?
You and it are each a separate entity;
How ever can it be of use to you?
61.
Why, O foolish mind,
Don’t you appropriate a clean form carved in wood?
How is it fit to guard
An unclean engine for the making of impurity?
62.
First, with mind’s imagination,
Shed the covering of skin,
And with the blade of wisdom, strip
The flesh from off the bony frame.
63.
And when you have divided all the bones,
And searched right down amid the very marrow,
You yourself should ask the question:
Where is the essential core?
64.
If, persisting in the search,
You see no underlying essence,
Why do you protect with such desire
The body that you now possess?
65.
Its filth you cannot eat, O mind;
Its blood likewise is not for you to drink;
Its innards, too, unsuitable to suck—
This body, what then will you make of it?
66.
And yet it may indeed be kept
As food to feed the vulture and the fox.
The value of this human form
Lies only in the use you make of it.
67.
Whatever you may do to guard and keep it,
What will you do when
The ruthless Lord of Death
Will seize and throw it to the dogs and birds?
68.
If servants who cannot be set to work
Are not rewarded with supplies and clothing,
Why do you sustain with such great pains
This body, which, though nourished, will abandon you?
69.
So pay this body due remuneration,
And then be sure to make it work for you.
But do not lavish everything
On what will not bring perfect benefit.
70.
Regard your body as a vessel,
A simple boat for going here and there.
Make of it a thing that answers every wish
To bring about the benefit of beings.
71.
Be the master of yourself
And have an ever-smiling countenance.
Rid yourself of scowling, wrathful frowns,
And be a true and honest friend to all.
72.
Do not, acting inconsiderately,
Move chairs and furniture so noisily around.
Likewise do not open doors with violence.
Take pleasure in the practice of humility.
73.
Herons, cats, and burglars
Achieve what they intend
By going silently and unobserved.
Such is the constant practice of a sage.
74.
When useful admonitions come unsought
From those with skill in counseling their fellows,
Welcome them with humble gratitude,
And always strive to learn from everyone.
75.
Praise all whose speech is worthy.
Say, “Your words are excellent!”
And when you notice others acting well,
Encourage them in terms of warm approval.
76.
Extol their qualities discreetly;
When they’re praised by others, praise them too.
But when the qualities they praise are yours,
Reflect upon their skill in recognizing qualities.
77.
The goal of every act is happiness itself,
Though, even with great wealth, it’s rarely found.
So take your pleasure in the excellence of others.
Let them be a heartfelt joy to you.
78.
By acting thus, in this life you’ll lose nothing;
In future lives, great bliss will come to you.
Wrongdoing brings not joy but pain,
And in the future dreadful torment.
79.
Speak coherently, appropriately,
Clear in meaning, pleasantly.
Rid yourself of craving and aversion;
Speak gently with moderation.
80.
When you look at others think
That it will be through them
That you will come to Buddhahood.
So look on them with frank and loving hearts.
81.
Always fired by highest aspiration,
Laboring to implement the antidotes,
You will reap great virtues in the field of excellence
And in the fields of benefits and sorrow.
82.
Acting thus with faith and understanding,
You should always undertake good works.
And in whatever actions you perform,
You should not be dependent on another.
83.
The perfections, giving and the rest,
Progress in sequence, growing in importance.
The great should never be abandoned for the less,
And others’ good should be regarded as supreme.
84.
Therefore understand this well,
And always labor for the benefit of beings.
The Compassionate One farsightedly permits,
To this end, even what has been proscribed.
85.
Eat only what is needful;
Share with those who have embraced the discipline,
With those who are defenseless or have fallen into evil states.
Give everything except the three robes of religion.
86.
The body, used to practice sacred teachings,
Should not be harmed in meaningless pursuits.
By acting thus the wishes of all beings
Will swiftly and completely be attained.
87.
They should not give up their bodies
Whose compassionate thoughts are not yet pure.
But let them be surrendered when, both now and in their futures lives,
Great benefit is thereby gained.
88.
Do not teach the Dharma to the disrespectful:
To those who, though not sick, wrap cloths around their heads,
To those who carry weapons, staffs, or parasols,
To those who are with covered heads.
89.
To those upon the lower paths do not explain the vast and deep,
Nor tutor women unaccompanied by men.
And every Dharma, high or low,
Expound with equal reverence.
90.
Those suited to the teachings of great scope
Should not be introduced to lesser paths.
The rules of conduct you should not neglect
Nor lead astray with talk of sūtras and of mantras.
91.
When you spit and throw away
Your tooth sticks, you should cover them.
And it is wrong to foul with urine and with other filth
The fields and water fit for public use.
92.
When eating, do not gobble noisily,
Nor stuff and cram your gaping mouth.
And do not sit with legs outstretched,
Nor coarsely rub your hands together.
93.
Do not travel, sit, or stay alone
With women of another house.
And all that you have seen, or have been told,
To be a cause of scandal—that you should avoid.
94.
Not rudely pointing with your finger,
But rather with a reverent gesture showing
With the whole right hand outstretched—
This is how to indicate the road.
95.
Do not wave your arms with uncouth gestures.
Express yourself instead with unobtrusive signs,
With gentle sounds and finger snaps.
For acting otherwise is impolite excess.
96.
Lie down to sleep in the preferred direction,
In the posture of the Buddha when he passed into nirvāṇa.
And first with vigilance decide
That you’ll be quick to rise again.
97.
The actions of the Bodhisattva
Are unbounded, so the Teachings say.
Of these, until the goal is won,
Embrace the practices that purify your mind.
98.
Reciting thrice by day and thrice by night,
The Sūtra in Three Sections,
Relying on the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas,
Purify the rest of your transgressions.
99.
Wherever and whenever and whatever you are doing,
For your sake or the sake of others,
Implement with diligence
The teachings given for that situation.
100.
There is indeed no field of knowledge
That the Buddhas’ offspring should not learn.
For those who are well-versed in all these ways,
There is no action destitute of merit.
101.
Directly, then, or indirectly,
Do nothing that is not for others’ sake.
And solely for their welfare dedicate
Your every action to the gaining of enlightenment.
102.
Never, at the cost of life or limb,
Forsake your virtuous friend, your teacher,
Learned in the doctrine of the Mahāyāna,
Supreme in Bodhisattva discipline.
103.
Learn how to attend upon your guru
As described in Shrī Sambhava’s life.
This and other teachings of the Buddha
You should understand by reading in the sūtras.
104.
Indeed within these sūtras all the practices are found;
Therefore read and study them.
The Sūtra of the Essence of the Sky
Is the text that should be studied first.
105.
All that must be practiced constantly
Is clearly and extensively explained
Within the Digest of All Disciplines,
So this is something you should read repeatedly.
106.
From time to time, for sake of brevity,
Consult the Digest of the Sūtras.
And those two works peruse with diligence
That noble Nāgārjuna has composed.
107.
Whatever in these works is not proscribed
Be sure to undertake and implement.
And what you find enjoined there, perfectly fulfill,
And so protect the minds of worldly beings.
108.
Examining again and yet again
The state and actions of your body and your mind—
This alone defines in brief
The maintenance of watchful introspection.
109.
But all this must be acted out in truth,
For what is to be gained by mouthing syllables?
What invalid was ever helped
By merely reading in the doctor’s treatises?
#IKITAO #Buddhist #Wisdom
Manish Vyas - Ekoham 🔊💜
एकोऽहम् बहु स्याम्
ekoham bahusyām
I am one, let me be (manifested as) many
----
"Brahman is one. Manifestation is many. One has become many."
— Swami Sivananda
"The universe is itself the manifestation of the divine mind, which willed, Ekoham Bahusayam: 'I am one, let me become many.'"
— Satya Sai Baba
YT
https://youtu.be/bVbTfujb_kw?si=Er3MSIZbu7rvNy7M
#IKITAO #ManishVyas #Mantra #Music
Manish Vyas - Om Namah Shivay (from the album ADIYOGI) 🔊
ॐ नमः शिवाय 🙏🏻
YT
https://youtu.be/0Q-qNkFzeUg?si=o7QOBTeu07i_4EsC
#IKITAO #ManishVyas #Mantra #Music
From "The Way of the Bodhisattva" by Shāntideva
Translated from Tibetan by the Padmakara Translation Group
4. Carefulness
1.
The children of the Conqueror who thus
Have firmly grasped this bodhichitta,
Should never turn aside from it,
Strive never to transgress its disciplines.
2.
Whatever was begun without due heed,
And all that was not properly conceived,
Although a promise and a pledge were given,
It is right to reconsider: Shall I act or not?
3.
Yet what the Buddhas and their heirs
Have scrutinized in their great wisdom,
I myself have probed and scrutinized.
Why should I now procrastinate?
4.
For if I bind myself with promises
But fail to carry out my words in deed,
Then every being will have been betrayed.
What destiny must lie in store for me?
5.
If in the teachings it is said
That those who in their thoughts intend
To give a small and paltry thing but then draw back
Will take rebirth as hungry spirits,
6.
How can I expect a happy destiny
If from my heart I summon
Wandering beings to the highest bliss,
But then deceive and fail them?
7.
As for those who, losing bodhichitta,
Lead others nonetheless to liberation,
Karmic law is inconceivable
And only understood by the Omniscient.
8.
This failure, for the Bodhisattva,
Is the gravest of all downfalls.
For should it ever come to pass,
The good of every being is thrown down.
9.
And anyone who, for a single instant,
Halts the merit of a Bodhisattva
Wanders endlessly in evil states,
Because the welfare of all beings is reduced.
10.
Destroy a single being’s joy
And you will work the ruin of yourself.
No need to speak of bringing low
The joy of beings infinite as space itself!
11.
And those who circle in saṃsāra,
Mixing powerful downfalls
With the power of bodhichitta back and forth,
Will long be hindered from the Bodhisattva grounds.
12.
And so, according to my promise,
I will act attentively.
From this day forth, if I now fail to strive,
I’ll fall from low to even lower states.
13.
Striving for the benefit of all that lives,
Unnumbered Buddhas have already lived and passed away.
But I, by virtue of my sins, have failed
To come within the compass of their healing works.
14.
And this will always be my lot
If I continue to behave like this,
And I will suffer pains and bondage,
Wounds and laceration in the lower realms.
15.
The appearance of the Buddhas in the world,
True faith and the attainment of a human form,
An aptitude for good: all these are rare.
When will they come to me again?
16.
Today, indeed, I’m hale and well,
I have enough to eat and I am not in danger.
But this life is fleeting, unreliable,
My body is like something briefly lent.
17.
And yet the way I act is such
That I shall not regain a human life!
And losing this, my precious human form,
My evils will be many, virtues none.
18.
Here is now my chance for wholesome deeds,
But if I fail to practice virtue,
What will be my lot, what shall I do,
Bewildered by the sorrows of the lower realms?
19.
Never, there, performing any virtue,
Only ever piling up my sins,
And for a hundred million ages,
I’ll not even hear of happy destinies.
20.
This is why Lord Buddha has declared
That like a turtle that perchance can place
Its head within a yoke adrift upon the mighty sea
This human birth is difficult to find!
21.
If through the evil action of a single instant
I must spend an aeon in the hell of Unrelenting Pain,
The evils in saṃsāra stored from time without beginning—
No need to say that they will keep me from the states of bliss!
22.
And mere experience of such pain
Does not result in being freed from it.
For in the very suffering of such states,
More evil will occur, and then in great abundance.
23.
Thus, having found this moment of reprieve,
If I now fail to train myself in virtue,
What greater folly could there ever be?
How more could I betray myself?
24.
If having understood all this,
I’m stupidly despondent still,
Then at the moment of my death,
My sorrows will be black indeed.
25.
And when my body burns so long
In fires of hell so unendurable,
My mind, there is no doubt, will also be tormented,
Burned in fires of unendurable regret.
26.
For it’s as if by chance that I have gained
This state so hard to find, wherein to help myself.
If now, while having such discernment,
I am once again consigned to hell,
27.
I am as if benumbed by sorcery,
As if reduced to total mindlessness.
I do not know what dulls my wits.
O what is it that has me in its grip?
28.
Anger, lust, these enemies of mine,
Are limbless and devoid of faculties.
They have no bravery, no cleverness;
How then have they reduced me to such slavery?
29.
They dwell within my mind
And at their pleasure injure me.
All this I suffer meekly, unresenting—
Thus my abject patience, all displaced!
30.
If all the gods and demigods besides
Together came against me as my foes,
They would be powerless to throw me down
To fires of hell of Unrelenting Pain.
31.
And yet the mighty fiend of my afflictions
Flings me in an instant headlong down
To where the mighty lord of mountains
Would be burned, its very ashes all consumed.
32.
O my enemy, afflictive passion,
Endless and beginningless companion!
No other enemy indeed
Is able to endure so long!
33.
All other foes that I appease and wait upon
Will show me favors, give me every aid,
But should I serve my dark defiled emotions,
They will only harm me, draw me down to grief.
34.
If thus my ancient and unceasing foes,
The wellspring only of my growing pain,
Can lodge so safe within my heart,
How can I live so blithe and fearless in this wheel of life?
35.
And if the jail guards of the prisons of saṃsāra,
The butchers and tormentors of infernal realms,
All lurk within me in the web of craving,
What joy can ever be my destiny?
36.
I will not leave the fight until, before my eyes,
These enemies of mine are all destroyed.
For if, aroused to fury by the merest slight,
Incapable of sleep until the scores are settled,
37.
Proud but wretched rivals, destined all to suffer when they die,
Will draw the battle lines and do their best to win,
And careless of the pain of cut and thrust,
Will stand their ground refusing to give way,
38.
No need to say that I will not lose heart,
Regardless of the hardships of the fray.
From this day forth I’ll strive to crush
These foes whose very nature is to bring me pain.
39.
The wounds inflicted by the enemy in futile wars
Are flaunted by the soldier as a prize.
So in the high endeavor, for so great a thing,
Why should I be dismayed by hurt or injury?
40.
When fishers, butchers, farmers, and the like,
Intending just to gain their livelihood,
Will suffer all the miseries of heat and cold,
Why, for beings’ happiness, should those like me not bear the same?
41.
When I pledged myself to free from their afflictions
Beings who abide in every region,
Stretching to the limits of the sky,
I was myself not free from such defilements.
42.
To speak like that, not knowing my capacity,
Were these not, truly, but a madman’s words?
More reason then for never drawing back
Abandoning the fight against defiled affliction.
43.
This shall be my all-consuming passion.
Filled with rancor I will wage my war!
Defilement of this kind will halt defilement
And for this reason it shall not be spurned.
44.
Better if I perish in the fire,
Better that my head be severed from my body
Than ever I should serve or reverence
My mortal enemies, defiled emotions.
45.
Common foes, when driven from the state,
Retreat and base themselves in other lands,
And muster all their strength the better to return.
But enemy afflictions are without such stratagems.
46.
Miserable defilements, scattered by the eye of wisdom!
Where will you now run, when driven from my mind?
Whence would you return to do me harm?
But oh, my mind is feeble. I am indolent!
47.
Defilements are not in the object,
Nor within the faculties, nor somewhere in between.
And if not elsewhere, where is their abode,
Whence they inflict their havoc on the world?
They are simple mirages, and so take heart!
Banish all your fear and strive to know their nature.
Why suffer needlessly the pains of hell?
48.
This is how I should reflect and labor,
That I might apply the precepts thus set forth.
What invalids in need of medicine
Ignored their doctor’s words and gained their health?
#IKITAO #Buddhist #Wisdom
I cannot say enough wonderful things about this course. Vyaas has dedicated his life to sharing Sanskrit—the language of the gods—with deep reverence and crystal-clear teaching that honors the ancient wisdom it carries.
#IKITAO #Sanskrit
Miten with Deva Premal - So Much Magnificence
There is so much magnificence
near the ocean
Waves are coming in
Waves are coming in
Halleluja
YT
https://youtu.be/jgOPClLbNYQ?si=1Y_8CmLZbUFKlIVS
#IKITAO #Miten #DevaPremal #Mantra #Music
Deva Premal - Om Shree Saché
YT
https://youtu.be/RmC1T7Q_7hc?si=JlipkU_kfy76pK62
ॐ श्री साचे महा प्रभु की जै
परमात्मा की जै
ॐ शान्ति शान्ति शान्तिहि ॐ
oṃ śrī sāce mahā prabhu ki jai
paramātmā ki jai
oṃ śānti śānti śāntihi oṃ
May the ultimate truth and that which
Is beyond all boundaries be victorious
May there be peace, peace, peace
#DevalPremal #Miten #Mantra #Music
From "The Way of the Bodhisattva" by Shāntideva
Translated from Tibetan by the Padmakara Translation Group
3. Taking Hold of Bodhichitta
1.
With joy I celebrate the virtue that relieves all beings
From the sorrows of the states of loss,
Exulting in the happy states enjoyed
By those who yet are suffering.
2.
I revel in the stores of virtue,
Cause of gaining the enlightened state,
And celebrate the freedom won
By living beings from the round of pain.
3.
And in the Buddhahood of the protectors I delight
And in the grounds of realization of the Buddhas’ heirs.
4.
Their enlightened attitude, an ocean of great good,
That seeks to place all beings in the state of bliss,
And every action for the benefit of beings:
Such is my delight and joy.
5.
And so I join my hands and pray
The Buddhas who reside in every quarter:
Kindle now the Dharma’s light
For those who grope, bewildered, in the dark of pain!
6.
I join my hands beseeching the enlightened ones
Who wish to pass into nirvāṇa:
Do not leave us wandering in blindness,
Stay among us for unnumbered ages!
7.
Through these actions now performed
And all the virtues I have gained,
May all the pain of every living being
Be wholly scattered and destroyed!
8.
For all those ailing in the world,
Until their every sickness has been healed,
May I myself become for them
The doctor, nurse, the medicine itself.
9.
Raining down a flood of food and drink,
May I dispel the ills of thirst and famine.
And in the aeons marked by scarcity and want,
May I myself appear as drink and sustenance.
10.
For sentient beings, poor and destitute,
May I become a treasure ever-plentiful,
And lie before them closely in their reach,
A varied source of all that they might need.
11.
My body, thus, and all my goods besides,
And all my merits gained and to be gained,
I give them all and do not count the cost,
To bring about the benefit of beings.
12.
Nirvāṇa is attained by giving all,
Nirvāṇa is the object of my striving;
And all must be surrendered in a single instant,
Therefore it is best to give it all to others.
13.
This body I have now resigned
To serve the pleasure of all living beings.
Let them ever kill, despise, and beat it,
Using it according to their wish.
14.
And though they treat it like a toy,
Or make of it the butt of every mockery,
My body has been given up to them.
Why should I make so much of it?
15.
And so let beings do to me
Whatever does not bring them injury.
Whenever they may think of me,
Let this not fail to bring them benefit.
16.
And if in my regard they have
A thought of anger or respect,
May these states always be the cause
Whereby their good and wishes are fulfilled.
17.
All those who slight me to my face
Or do to me some other evil,
Even if they blame or slander me,
May they attain the fortune of enlightenment!
18.
May I be a guard for those who are protectorless,
A guide for those who journey on the road.
For those who wish to cross the water,
May I be a boat, a raft, a bridge.
19.
May I be an isle for those who yearn for land,
A lamp for those who long for light;
For all who need a resting place, a bed;
For those who need a servant, may I be their slave.
20.
May I be the wishing jewel, the vase of wealth,
A word of power and the supreme healing,
May I be the tree of miracles,
For every being the abundant cow.
21.
Just like the earth and space itself
And all the other mighty elements,
For boundless multitudes of beings
May I always be the ground of life, the source of varied sustenance.
22.
Thus for everything that lives,
As far as are the limits of the sky,
May I be constantly their source of livelihood
Until they pass beyond all sorrow.
23.
Just as all the Buddhas of the past
Have brought forth the awakened mind,
And in the precepts of the Bodhisattvas
Step-by-step abode and trained,
24.
Likewise, for the benefit of beings,
I will bring to birth the awakened mind,
And in those precepts, step-by-step,
I will abide and train myself.
25.
Those who thus with clear intelligence
Take hold of the awakened mind with bright and lucid joy,
That they may now increase what they have gained,
Should lift their hearts with praises such as these:
26.
“Today my life has given fruit.
This human state has now been well assumed.
Today I take my birth in Buddha’s line,
And have become the Buddha’s child and heir.
27.
“In every way, then, I will undertake
Activities befitting such a rank.
And I will do no act to mar
Or compromise this high and faultless lineage.
28.
“For I am like a blind man who has found
A precious gem inside a heap of dust.
For so it is, by some strange chance,
That bodhichitta has been born in me.
29.
“This is the supreme draft of immortality
That slays the Lord of Death, the slaughterer of beings,
The rich unfailing treasure-mine
To heal the poverty of wanderers.
30.
“It is the sovereign remedy
That perfectly allays all maladies.
It is the tree that gives relief
To those who wander wearily the pathways of existence.
31.
“It is the universal bridge that saves
All wandering beings from the states of loss,
The rising moon of the enlightened mind
That soothes the sorrows born of the afflictions.
32.
“It is the mighty sun that utterly dispels
The misty ignorance of wandering beings,
The creamy butter, rich and full,
That’s churned from milk of holy teaching.
33.
“Living beings! Wayfarers upon life’s paths,
Who wish to taste the riches of contentment,
Here before you is the supreme bliss.
Here, O ceaseless travelers, is your fulfillment!
34.
“And so, today, within the sight of all protectors,
I summon beings, calling them to Buddhahood.
And, till that state is reached, to every earthly joy!
May gods and demigods and all the rest rejoice!”
#IKITAO #Buddhist #Wisdom
🙏🏻 Is that 7aum Arivu? If so, I've been meaning to watch it. Is it good?
From "The Way of the Bodhisattva" by Shāntideva
Translated from Tibetan by the Padmakara Translation Group
1. The Excellence of Bodhichitta
Homage to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
1.
To those who go in bliss, the dharmakāya they possess, and all their heirs,
To all those worthy of respect, I reverently bow.
According to the scriptures, I shall now in brief describe
The practice of the Bodhisattva discipline.
2.
Here I shall say nothing that has not been said before,
And in the art of prosody I have no skill.
I therefore have no thought that this might be of benefit to others;
I wrote it only to habituate my mind.
3.
My faith will thus be strengthened for a little while,
That I might grow accustomed to this virtuous way.
But others who now chance upon my words
May profit also, equal to myself in fortune.
4.
So hard to find the ease and wealth
Whereby the aims of beings may be gained.
If now I fail to turn it to my profit,
How could such a chance be mine again?
5.
Just as on a dark night black with clouds,
The sudden lightning glares and all is clearly shown,
Likewise rarely, through the Buddhas’ power,
Virtuous thoughts rise, brief and transient, in the world.
6.
Virtue, thus, is weak; and always
Evil is of great and overwhelming strength.
Except for perfect bodhichitta,
What other virtue is there that can lay it low.
7.
For many aeons deeply pondering,
The mighty Sages saw its benefits,
Whereby unnumbered multitudes
Are brought with ease to supreme joy.
8.
Those who wish to crush the many sorrows of existence,
Who wish to quell the pain of living beings,
Who wish to have experience of a myriad joys
Should never turn away from bodhichitta.
9.
Should bodhichitta come to birth
In those who suffer, chained in prisons of saṃsāra,
In that instant they are called the children of the Blissful One,
Revered by all the world, by gods and humankind.
10.
For like the supreme substance of the alchemists,
It takes our impure flesh and makes of it
The body of a Buddha, jewel beyond all price.
Such is bodhichitta. Let us grasp it firmly!
11.
Since the boundless wisdom of the only guide of beings
Perfectly examined and perceived its priceless worth,
Those who wish to leave this state of wandering
Should hold well to this precious bodhichitta.
12.
All other virtues, like the plantain tree,
Produce their fruit, but then their force is spent.
Alone the marvelous tree of bodhichitta
Constantly bears fruit and grows unceasingly.
13.
As though they pass through perils guarded by a hero,
Even those weighed down with dreadful wickedness
Will instantly be freed through having bodhichitta.
Why do those who fear their sins not have recourse to it?
14.
Just as by the fire that will destroy the world,
Great sins are surely and at once consumed by it.
Its benefits are thus unbounded
As the Wise and Loving Lord explained to Sudhana.
15.
Bodhichitta, the awakened mind,
Is known in brief to have two aspects:
First, aspiring, bodhichitta in intention;
Then active bodhichitta, practical engagement.
16.
As corresponding to the wish to go
And then to setting out,
The wise should understand respectively
The difference that divides these two.
17.
From bodhichitta in intention
Great results arise for those still turning in the wheel of life;
Yet merit does not rise from it in ceaseless streams
As is the case with active bodhichitta.
18.
For when, with irreversible intent,
The mind embraces bodhichitta,
Willing to set free the endless multitudes of beings,
In that instant, from that moment on,
19.
A great and unremitting stream,
A strength of wholesome merit,
Even during sleep and inattention,
Rises equal to the vastness of the sky.
20.
This the Tathāgata,
In the sūtra Subāhu requested,
Said with reasoned argument
For those inclined to lesser paths.
21.
If with kindly generosity
One merely has the wish to soothe
The aching heads of other beings,
Such merit knows no bounds.
22.
No need to speak, then, of the wish
To drive away the endless pain
Of each and every living being,
Bringing them unbounded excellence.
23.
Could our father or our mother
Ever have so generous a wish?
Do the very gods, the ṛiṣhis, even Brahmā
Harbor such benevolence as this?
24.
For in the past they never,
Even in their dreams,
Wished something like this even for themselves.
How could they do so for another’s sake?
25.
This aim to bring the benefit of beings,
A benefit that others wish not even for themselves,
This noble, jewellike state of mind
Arises truly wondrous, never seen before.
26.
This pain-dispelling draft,
This cause of joy for those who wander through the world,
This precious attitude, this jewel of mind—
How shall we calculate its merit?
27.
If the simple thought to be of help to others
Exceeds in worth the worship of the Buddhas,
What need is there to speak of actual deeds
That bring about the weal and benefit of beings?
28.
For beings long to free themselves from misery,
But misery itself they follow and pursue.
They long for joy, but in their ignorance
Destroy it, as they would their foe.
29.
But those who fill with bliss
All beings destitute of joy,
Who cut all pain and suffering away
From those weighed down with misery,
30.
Who drive away the darkness of their ignorance—
What virtue could be matched with theirs?
What friend could be compared to them?
What merit is there similar to this?
31.
If someone who returns a favor
Is deserving of some praise,
Why need we speak of Bodhisattvas,
Those who do good even unsolicited?
32.
People praise as virtuous donors
Those who with contempt support
A few with plain and ordinary food:
A moment’s gift that feeds for only half a day.
33.
What need is there to speak of those
Who long bestow on countless multitudes
The peerless joy of blissful Buddhahood,
The ultimate fulfillment of their hopes?
34.
All those who harbor evil in their minds
Against such lords of generosity, the Buddha’s heirs,
Will stay in hell, the mighty Sage has said,
For ages equal to the moments of their malice.
35.
But joyous and devoted thoughts
Will yield abundant fruits in greater strength.
Even in great trouble, Bodhisattvas
Never bring forth wrong; their virtues naturally increase.
36.
To them in whom this precious jewel of mind
Is born—to them I bow!
I go for refuge to those springs of happiness
Who bring their very enemies to perfect bliss.
#IKITAO #Buddhist #Wisdom
Well I guess I am getting prepped up for surgery. The surgeon said he's pretty sure it's the appendix. We waited monitoring me to rule it out overnight in case it was the burst ovarian cyst but he thinks that's the culprint considering my blood work today showed infection fighting markers. He wants to remove it. He also said he wants to remove it even if he gets in and finds out it's not the appendix since the CT scan showed there are a couple appendicoliths. But he has also told me that if I feel strongly about not removing it if he finds out that's not where the issue comes from he respects my wish and won't remove it.
I feel like if we have an organ it's there for a reason. I still have all my wisdom teeth in. But I really don't know. Since later it sounds this could be a lot more complicated surgery.
I wonder what you and some of our trusted docs on here think about this? #asknostr
nostr:nprofile1qqstzt0wugc7sklvr8e7fcl7ukyn63ym3ns4nmf2mnk0vqnz4l9x65qppemhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mp0qywhwumn8ghj7mn0wd68yttjv4kxz7fwwak8vuewwdcxzcm99uq36amnwvaz7tmwdaehgu3wvf5hgcm0d9hx2u3wwdhkx6tpdshs80ydtj, nostr:nprofile1qqszjf0k3vznlcvcw4efurpywfannqkegp69kwccfvz5yzqgft6tukcpzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgtckqnfsc nostr:nprofile1qqsy7nuzs3nf3lmx4e06n7k5crzwk7pr47c8l204f65azhcjz7hfdnqpr9mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuumwdae8gtnnda3kjctv9uq3zamnwvaz7tmwdaehgu3wwa5kuef0qythwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnwdaehgu3wd9hxvme0fgfpdx nostr:nprofile1qqsrv3sllrvh2mqect32jj8axhd7s7qdvfvk7prkvvsq0f7x53z54tgpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduhsc00f4y nostr:nprofile1qqsxknkf3upwv3lqz3qtguammy48lt3puqdk4fkxtcedh99rvzfzwtsprdmhxue69uhhw6r9v96zu6rpwpc8jarpwejhym3wvdhj7qg4waehxw309aex2mrp0yhxgctdw4eju6t09uq3kamnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwdehhxarjwpkx2cnn9e3k7mf0mulgs5 nostr:nprofile1qqsdvyenvujkqs4xwae3se2m78ecmrxaj385h2nvpdcw7jcztx227pqpr9mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuumwdae8gtnnda3kjctv9uq32amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwv3sk6atn9e5k7tcpz9mhxue69uhkummnw3ezuamfdejj7nf9als
I couldn't tag Dr. Paul Saladino and Jack Kruse.
Just now seeing this. Blessings to you, Love. Sending healing energy your way.
From "The Way of the Bodhisattva" by Shāntideva
Translated from Tibetan by the Padmakara Translation Group
2. Confession
1.
To the Buddhas, those thus gone,
And to the sacred Dharma, spotless and supremely rare,
And to the Buddha’s offspring, oceans of good qualities,
That I might gain this precious attitude, I make a perfect offering.
2.
I offer every fruit and flower,
Every kind of healing draft,
And all the precious gems the world contains,
With all pure waters of refreshment;
3.
Every mountain wrought of precious jewels,
All sweet and lonely forest groves,
The trees of paradise adorned with blossom,
Trees with branches bowed with perfect fruit;
4.
The perfumed fragrance of divine and other realms,
All incense, wishing trees, and trees of gems,
All crops that grow without the tiller’s care,
And every sumptuous object worthy to be offered;
5.
Lakes and meres adorned with lotuses,
Delightful with the sweet-voiced cries of waterbirds,
And everything unclaimed and free
Extending to the margins of the boundless sky.
6.
I hold them all before my mind, and to the mighty Sage, the greatest of our kind,
And to his heirs, I make a perfect offering.
Sublime recipients, compassionate lords,
O think of me with love; accept these gifts of mine!
7.
For, destitute of merit, I am very poor;
I have no other wealth. And so, protectors,
You whose wise intentions are for others’ good,
In your great power, receive them for my sake.
8.
Enlightened ones and all your Bodhisattva heirs,
I offer you my body throughout all my lives.
Supreme courageous ones accept me totally.
For with devotion I will be your slave.
9.
For if you will accept me, I will be
Undaunted by saṃsāra and will act for beings’ sake.
I’ll leave behind the evils of my past,
And ever after turn my face from them.
10.
A bathing chamber excellently fragrant,
With even floors of crystal, radiant and clear,
And graceful pillars shimmering with gems,
All hung about with gleaming canopies of pearls—
11.
There the blissful Buddhas and their heirs
I’ll bathe with many a precious vase,
Abrim with water fragrant and delightful,
All to frequent strains of melody and song.
12.
With cloths of unexampled quality,
With spotless, perfumed towels I will dry them,
And offer splendid scented clothes,
Well-dyed and of surpassing excellence.
13.
With different garments, light and supple,
And a hundred beautiful adornments,
I will grace sublime Samantabhadra,
Mañjughoṣha, Lokeshvara, and their kin.
14.
And with a sumptuous fragrance which
Pervades a thousand million worlds,
I will anoint the bodies of the mighty Sages,
Gleaming bright like burnished gold refined and cleansed.
15.
I place before the mighty Sages, perfect objects of my worship,
Glorious flowers like lotus and mandāravā,
The utpala, and other fragrant blossoms,
Worked and twined in lovely scented garlands.
16.
I will offer swelling clouds of frankincense,
Whose ambient perfume ravishes the mind,
And various foods and every kind of drink,
All delicacies worthy of the gods.
17.
I will offer precious lamps
Arranged in rows on lotuses of gold,
A carpet of sweet flowers scattering
Upon the level, incense-sprinkled ground.
18.
To those whose very nature is compassion
I will give vast palaces, resounding with fair praise,
All decked with precious pearls and beauteous pendant gems,
Gleaming jewels that deck the amplitude of space.
19.
Fair and precious parasols adorned with golden shafts,
All bordered round with hems of precious jewels,
Upright, well-proportioned, pleasing to the eye,
Again, all this I give to all the Buddhas.
20.
May a host of other offerings,
And clouds of ravishing sweet melody
That solaces the pain of living beings
Arise and constantly abide.
21.
May rains of flowers and every precious gem
Fall down in an unceasing stream
Upon the Jewels of Sacred Dharma,
Images and all supports for offering.
22.
Just as Mañjughoṣha and the like
Made offering to all the Conquerors,
I do likewise to all the Buddhas our protectors,
And to all their Bodhisattva children.
23.
To these vast oceans of good qualities
I offer praise, a sea of airs and harmonies.
May clouds of tuneful eulogy
Ascend unceasingly before them.
24.
To Buddhas of the past, the present, and all future time,
And to the Dharma and Sublime Assembly,
With bodies many as the grains of dust
Upon the earth, I will prostrate and bow.
25.
To shrines and all supports
Of bodhichitta I bow down;
To abbots who transmit the vows, to every learned master,
And to all sublime practitioners of Dharma.
26.
Until the essence of enlightenment is reached,
I go for refuge to the Buddhas.
Also I take refuge in the Dharma
And in all the host of Bodhisattvas.
27.
To perfect Buddhas and to Bodhisattvas,
In all directions where they may reside,
To them who are the sovereigns of great mercy,
I press my palms together, praying thus:
28.
“In this and all my other lives,
While turning in the round without beginning,
Blindly I have brought forth evil,
And incited others to commit the same.
29.
“Deceived and overmastered by my ignorance,
I have taken pleasure in such sin,
And seeing now the blame of it,
O great protectors, I confess it earnestly!
30.
“Whatever I have done against the Triple Gem,
Against my parents, teachers, and the rest,
Through force of my defilements,
In my body, speech, and mind,
31.
“All the evil I, a sinner, have committed,
All the wicked deeds that cling to me,
The frightful things that I contrived
I openly declare to you, the teachers of the world.
32.
“It may be that my death will come to me
Before my evil has been cleansed.
How then can I be freed from it?
I pray you, quickly grant me your protection!”
33.
We cannot trust the wanton Lord of Death.
The task complete or still to do, he will not wait.
In health or sickness, therefore, none of us can trust
Our fleeting, momentary lives.
34.
And we must pass away, forsaking all.
But I, devoid of understanding,
Have, for sake of friend and foe alike,
Provoked and brought about so many wrongs.
35.
But all my foes will cease to be,
And all my friends will cease to be,
And I will also cease to be,
And likewise everything will cease to be.
36.
All that I possess and use
Is like the fleeting vision of a dream.
It fades into the realms of memory,
And fading, will be seen no more.
37.
And even in the brief course of this present life,
So many friends and foes have passed away,
Because of whom, the evils I have done
Still lie, unbearable, before me.
38.
The thought came never to my mind
That I too am a brief and passing thing.
And so, through hatred, lust, and ignorance,
I have committed many sins.
39.
Never halting night or day,
My life drains constantly away,
And from no other source does increase come.
How can there not be death for such as me?
40.
There I’ll be, prostrate upon my bed,
And all around, my family and friends.
But I alone shall be the one to feel
The cutting of the thread of life.
41.
And when the heralds of the Deadly King have gripped me,
What help to me will be my friends and kin?
For then life’s virtue is my one defense,
And this, alas, is what I shrugged away.
42.
O protectors! I, so little heeding,
Hardly guessed at horror such as this—
And all for this brief, transient existence,
I have done so many evil things.
43.
The day they take him to the scaffold,
Where they will tear off his limbs,
A man is changed, transfigured by his fear:
His mouth is dry, his eyes start from his brow.
44.
No need to say how stricken I shall be
When overcome and sick with dreadful fear,
I’m seized by forms so horrible to see,
The frightful servants of the Lord of Death.
45.
Who can give me safe protection
From this horror, from this frightful dread?
And then I’ll search the four directions,
Seeking help, with panic-stricken eyes.
46.
But in those four directions no protection shall I find.
And I shall sink into despairing woe.
No refuge will there be for me;
At such a time, what shall I do?
47.
Thus, from this day forward I take refuge
In the Buddhas, guardians of beings,
Who labor to protect all wanderers,
Those mighty ones who scatter every fear.
48.
And in the Dharma they have realized in their hearts,
Which drives away the terrors of saṃsāra,
And in all the host of Bodhisattvas
Likewise I will perfectly take refuge.
49.
Gripped by dread, beside myself with anguish,
To Samantabhadra I will give myself;
My body I myself will give
To Mañjughoṣha, gentle and melodious.
50.
To him whose deeds of mercy never fail,
My lord Avalokita,
I cry out from depths of misery,
“Protect me now an evildoer!”
51.
Now to the noble one, Ākāshagarbha,
And to Kṣhitigarbha, from my heart I call.
To all protectors, great, compassionate,
I cry to them in search of refuge.
52.
To Vajrapaṇi I shall fly,
For at the sight of him
All vengeful things like Yama’s host
Escape in terror to the four directions.
53.
Formerly your words I have transgressed,
But having seen these terrors all around,
I come to you for refuge praying:
Swiftly drive away my fear!
54.
For if, alarmed by common ailments,
I must implement the doctor’s words,
What need to speak of when I’m constantly brought low
By ills like lust and faults a hundredfold?
55.
And if, by one of these alone,
The dwellers in the world are all thrown down,
And if no other remedy exists,
No other healing elsewhere to be found
56.
Than words of the all-knowing doctor,
Which uproot our every ill,
The thought to turn on him deaf ears
Is abject and contemptible stupidity.
57.
Along a small and ordinary cliff
If I must pick my way with special care,
What need to speak of that long-lasting chasm
Plunging to the depths a thousand leagues?
58.
“Today, at least, I shall not die.”
So rash to lull myself with words like these!
My dissolution and my hour of death
Will come to me, of this there is no doubt.
59.
Who can give me fearlessness,
What sure escape is there from this?
It’s certain that I’m going to die,
So how can I relax, my mind at ease?
60.
Of life’s experience, all seasons past,
What’s left to me, what now remains?
By clinging to what now is here no more,
My teacher’s precepts I have disobeyed.
61.
And when this life is left behind,
And with it all my kith and kin,
I must set out on strange paths all alone:
Why make so much of all my friends and foes?
62.
How instead can I make sure
To rid myself of evil, only cause of sorrow?
This should be my one concern,
My only thought both night and day.
63.
The wrongs that I have done
Through ignorant stupidity:
All actions evil by their nature
And transgressions of the precepts,
64.
Fearing all the pains to come
I join my palms and ceaselessly prostrate,
And everything I will confess
Directly in the sight of my protectors.
65.
I pray you, guides and guardians of the world,
To take me as I am, a sinful man.
And all these actions, evil as they are,
I promise I will never do again.
#IKITAO #Buddhist #Wisdom
Indeed. Freedom of speech goes both ways. And freedom of speech has never meant freedom from consequences... just freedom from government persecution.
Very cool! Can't wait to hear it.
Start with The Power of Myth book. Then dive into The Hero with a Thousand Faces.
We have not even to risk the adventure alone, for the heroes of all time have gone before us.
The labyrinth is thoroughly known; we have only to follow the thread of the hero path.
And where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god.
And where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves.
And where we had thought to travel outward, we shall come to the center of our own existence.
And where we had thought to be alone, we shall be with all the world.
— Joseph Campbell (The Power of Myth)
#IKITAO #Wisdom #Mythology
Yes, it's wonderful. I have the DVDs, but the quality here is sufficient:
https://archive.org/details/power_of_myth
Mythos I-III are also must-watches.
I own and have read all of his books—they're foundational.
Some academics felt his monomyth oversimplified different cultures, but regardless, he revealed the deeper symbolic patterns that run through all spiritual and mythic traditions.
AI is the result of humans creating in the image of the creator. So, while it is a double edged sword, in my opinion, it also seems to be an inevitable part of our evolution.
🙏🏻💜
nostr:naddr1qqxrwwt6vv6kge3jwd48swqpzemhxue69uhkummnw3ex2mrfw3jhxtn0wfnj7q3qz4y76jl8r5d8p63defzedngv2nrp46jgt3hyuk5v533htrycm49qxpqqqzvtz3gs9w2
Gn
This drummer is absolutely unreal. El Estepario Siberiano is elite. Just watch. https://file.nostrmedia.com/p/4eb88310d6b4ed95c6d66a395b3d3cf559b85faec8f7691dafd405a92e055d6d/17f5ff9ce33af7b4752aefe991f797eda90e388012628fc5b485ba1eeb2aad84.mp4
Check out more of his videos here and on YouTube: https://www.instagram.com/elestepariosiberiano?igsh=MW1odnF6eTcwOGdodg==
#ElEsteparioSiberiano
Apple makes both the phone AND the chip inside it, so they work together perfectly... like LEGO blocks designed for each other. Their chips are 2-3 years ahead in efficiency (they get first dibs on TSMC's newest process nodes) and iOS is ruthless about killing background apps.
Google just started making chips in 2021, Samsung's are inconsistent, and Android's open philosophy means apps run wild in the background... draining battery.
iPhone = perfectly tuned Formula 1 car where every part is optimized together. Android = modified street car with more freedom but less efficiency.
Control + cutting-edge chips + aggressive app management = all-day battery with smaller batteries.
Ouch, but to be fair, the Samsung Galaxy A50 is a 6+ year old phone.
Royal poison tester nostr:nprofile1qqsz9nr55u53zdecvenu7zj5z3hfu2ua5skjfft9t3lstqgrcy3n5uspzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgtcn8pp8u girl approving my Subway 👸🏻💜
I swear most new male country singers sound like a nasal neurodivergent frog who's obsessed with R&B and fishin'
What about the "real possibility that some hardware components or features could be permanently broken on custom ROMs. Features that rely on heavily customized drivers, such as advanced camera functionalities, may be particularly difficult to implement perfectly"?
And Google's move towards using a virtual device, codenamed "Cuttlefish," as its primary reference target for AOSP development - "intended to make AOSP development more hardware-agnostic"?
I think we're all interested in what your plans are for Cuttlefish.
But more specifically:
1. You acknowledge that "device tree configurations were dropped"—so why do you dismiss this as the article "not quite understanding what changed"? The loss of device tree configurations is exactly what multiple sources identify as the core problem requiring reverse engineering.
While you're correct that userspace driver code remains available, the missing device trees are what force developers into "blind guessing and reverse engineering from prebuilt binaries."
Your response seems to minimize the significance of losing these configurations. How substantial is the impact of having to recreate device tree configurations without Google's official versions.
2. Without complete kernel commit history, how do you ensure that monthly security patches don't inadvertently break hardware functionality? The HowToGeek article specifically mentions this as a major concern for maintaining feature parity.
3. Regarding automation improvements—are you building tooling to automatically extract and reverse engineer the missing device tree configurations from Google's proprietary builds each month? This would represent a significant ongoing maintenance burden that wasn't present before.
4. What's your contingency if Google's shift to Cuttlefish as the primary AOSP reference eventually leads to reduced Pixel-specific support in future Android versions?
This appears to be part of Google's strategy to make AOSP "hardware-agnostic."
5. Can you quantify the development time impact? While you've maintained Android 16 support, how much additional development time per release cycle are you now allocating to reverse engineering that was previously unnecessary?
The broader privacy community deserves transparency about whether this represents a sustainable long-term approach or if we should be preparing for reduced custom ROM viability on future Pixel generations.
💯 and from a PHD! My crew is the best crew! ;) lol
anemoia - n. nostalgia for a time you’ve never known.
Imagine stepping through the frame into a sepia-tinted haze, where you could sit on the side of the road and watch the locals passing by. Who lived and died before any of us arrived here, who sleep in some of the same houses we do, who look up at the same moon, who breathe the same air, feel the same blood in their veins—and live in a completely different world.
YT
I prefer truly ephemeral chats in most cases. Even on SimpleX and Signal—unless I'm talking to family or clients—I have notes set to disappear in 24 hours and screenshotting disabled for many (not perfect, but it's better).
I feel like people can talk more freely, just like in real conversation, when they know that everything won't be easily copied, recorded, and hanging out on someone else's server somewhere.
Can we all wish nostr:nprofile1qqsyawyrzrttfmv4cmtx5w2m85702kdct7hv3amfrkhagpdf9cz46mgprpmhxue69uhkv6tvw3jhytnwdaehgu3wwa5kuef0qy3hwumn8ghj7enfd36x2u3wdehhxarj9emkjmn99ulkwmr0vfskc0tpd3kqng2s9w a happy birthday and buy her a Nostr beer 🍻 🎉
Much love, Heather! Thank you :) 🫂💜
💯 Over a year now. I'm a bit of a power user. Honestly can't say enough good things. nostr:nprofile1qqsdfx5syw3pmwsm8jpsdj3kn0ejg0vtgju0pdk3r9nq0aasny863hcprpmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wdnxcctjv5hxxmmdqyvhwumn8ghj7um9dejxjapwdehhxenvv9ex2tnrdaksczjns2 and nostr:nprofile1qqsrefkhcg89xrn4v84jngrxm75cwmneraq3k5sc0knmx9xufr2c3nspz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduq3vamnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwdehhxarj9e3xzmnyqyt8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjt3s0p3ksct59e3k7mgfk58av are on top of it. Haven't looked back since.