Sobhana Bhikkhuni

definitely, ritual can be part of the reconciliation process. After the current nightmare there will be a vast need for such healing.

YouTube video by Angela's Symposium The Magical Art of Peace: Ancient Rituals of Reconciliation and Resistance

This episode explores the provocative question: Can magic stop wars?

youtu.be/zD5ih5y9wlE

#warmagick #peacemagic #witches

That is what the Buddha said. …

“Full of desire for possessions and pleasures,
greedy, infatuated by sensual pleasures;
they don’t notice that they’ve gone too far,
like fish entering a net set out.
It’ll be bitter later on;
for the result will be bad for them.”

SN 3.7 h/t Reading Faithfully

King Pasenadi said to the Buddha, “When I’m sitting in judgment I see well-to-do aristocrats, brahmins, & householders—rich, affluent, & wealthy, with lots of gold & silver, lots of property & assets, & lots of money and grain. But they tell deliberate lies for the sake of sensual pleasures.

Dear Kitty, if we are both still alive, I will try to visit Washington-Oregon this time next year. Perhaps we'll meet up! With metta, Ayya Sobhana

I accepted the job as abbot of the Empty Cloud Monastery. If you have prayers or merits or good wishes to share, I'm grateful.

Someone said a brief Dhamma thought posted here in bsky can't make a real impact ... but this one is different. Motivation to develop the 4 iddhipadas, (a generally ignored teaching), and a little known powerful teaching voice in "Collection of Renunciation Letters"

Tuesday, 9/2, I'll give the zoom/youtube program for Dhammadharini. In the threefold training, meditation (samādhi) leads to wisdom (pañña), but how does that really work? Exploring the crucial turning point, seeing the true nature of reality, right here in the messiness of our ordinary world.

These days, I have been sharing the teaching duty with Bhante Suddhāso at the Empty Cloud monastery. Usually there's a chance to speak about the Dhamma for three or four minutes before the meal each day, to offer one of the in-person weekend programs, and one of the youtube livestreams each week.

A wise bhikkhu advisor encouraged me to teach and meditate, meditate and teach.

Sutta Meditation Series How to study the Buddha's Teachings (Dhamma-Vinaya) and meditate on the Buddha's insight (knowledge) pathways contained in the Theravada suttas. Particular emphasis is given to lay practice towards ...

This is my current favorite youtube channel for Dhamma and meditation instruction. If you are not already a fan, check it out!

In a nutshell, consciousness is the presence of experience, while nāmarūpa is the content of experience. Consciousness is the knowing and nāma is the making sense of rūpa, what is known. [Found in old notes about the āhāra. I understood it for a minute.] Translate rūpa here as "appearance"?

Thank you for the kind encouragement.

A supporter has kindly offered to make a proper simple personal website. To accept this offer there has to be a sponsor for the small monthly subscription. Contact me, Ayya Sobhana and I’ll put you in touch with the website volunteer.

Venerable Bambalapitiye Gnanaloka Thero: A Life of Solitude and Compassion Early Life Born in Sri Lanka in 1971, Shanaka Dharmakeerti spent his formative years in Lesotho, South Africa. As a teenager, he developed a profound curiosity about the universe, delving into astr…

This week at the Empty Cloud Monastery, Venerable Bambalapitiye Gnanaloka Thero is leading a meditation retreat. Such wonderful teachings are like a good soaking rain.

Buddhist Insights @ Empty Cloud Buddhist Insights is a non-profit organization connecting you with monastics from every Buddhist tradition. We are the founders of Empty Cloud Monastery in West Orange, NJ. Learn more at www.buddhisti...

It seems like I will be online to give talks on the Empty Cloud channel, this Wednesday evening (tomorrow) and Friday morning. Plus on Friday evening, there is "monk talk" in a q&A format.

YouTube video by Ajahn Sona Greek & Persian Influence On Early Buddhism

Well before Alexander, the Persian emperor Cyrus planted a Greek city in Gandhara. It's here — www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDZK...

Who knew Popular Mechanics would be that interested in consciousness?

I'm pretty disenchanted with "stories" these days, but recognize that the mind makes stories, stories create meaning, and meaning helps us know what to do about it.
"Trust and verify."

As far as I know, the Mahayana got a big dose of Greek culture at the beginning, with the Greek gods becoming bodhisatvas, and Hercules becoming Vajrapani the protector of Gautama Buddha

Thanks! I'm now reviewing plato.stanford.edu/entries/phen.... and it does indeed help to clarify one's understanding of the Dhamma from another perspective.

With Rebecca Fox at Greenville SC

With Ayya Sudhamma at Charlotte NC, last week

This string helped complete the puzzle about uposatha days. www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.ph...

For one who is half-learned, when there is a specific question, I have gotten good pointers from, Dhamma Wheel and discourse.suttacentral. For example, I wanted to know how to become independent in calculating the uposatha days and looking up the related events to be remembered.

3. Discourse.suttacentral has great discussions. More of my actual friends are on fb. Dhamma Wheel has some really strong commenters. Reddit seems to have more Dhamma-curious beginners. Is Bsky mainly for socially engaged Dhamma?

2. After mostly ignoring social media for a decade, and dipping a toe in here, I am not really feeling the benefit

1. What do you think? Is Bsky best for keeping up with friends, for conversation about the Dhamma, for promoting one's own content, or for inserting more wisdom into the blogosphere?

YouTube video by Ayya Sobhana Meditating for Peace

Meditating for Peace youtu.be/D255FvxrM3M

A few good friends set up a WhatsApp with my permission. They gave it the light hearted name "Friends of Ayya Iowa Sobhana, the Bhikkhuni Monk from De Moines". This entire domain is new to me. Thank you (I think???)