When one lives in a regime of scarcity in regard to some critical resource, it’s next to impossible to avoid one’s whole way of thinking and living becoming shaped around this scarcity.
"[T]iller first gained recognition in the field with a 1953 paper he co-authored with a fellow graduate student and two advisors at the University of Toronto on the way certain impurities get distributed as materials crystallize from liquid to solid, causing instabilities in the resulting material. In it, Tiller and his collaborators for the first time described the principle of “constitutional supercooling” mathematically. The process had been described qualitatively prior to the paper, but never in such concrete terms. The authors’ approach is still used today in textbooks on materials crystallization.
That work and his subsequent nine years at Westinghouse Research Laboratory earned Tiller a certain academic reputation such that in 1964 when he joined Stanford University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering he was the first faculty member to be appointed as – rather than promoted to – full professor. In Tiller’s first year on the faculty, his Air Force Office of Scientific Research contract alone was $600,000 per year, the largest in the department by a considerable margin. In today’s dollars, such a contact would exceed $5 million.
In 1972, Tiller published another influential paper on stress corrosion cracking. The paper was noted for introducing the concept that, under strain, a surface with wavy undulations will cause atoms to diffuse from the valleys to the peaks, increasing peak heights and producing greater irregularities. It became known as the Asaro-Tiller-Grinfeld (ATG) mechanism and laid the foundation for a new theoretical work in semiconductor films, including quantum nanostructures and quantum dots. Decades later, the paper inspired a retrospective titled “The Asaro-Tiller-Grinfeld instability revisited.”"
There we are informed that the Professional Atheist and Magician, James Randi, awarded Tiller the Pigasus Awared in 1979.
I appreciate your post and your optimism, but I think Roman Leventov below makes a valid point. I think conflict is inherently unavoidable, like your Magician system and the brother-battle. It's a fundamental pattern. In this conflict, it is very difficult if not impossible to even communicate with those opposed. It's like we live in different worlds, disjoint worlds. I don't think that's going to go away without enlightenment . . .
OM
Syllable of the most supreme exclamation of praise.
BENZAR SATO SA MA YA
Vajrasattva’s Samaya
MA NU PA LA YA BENZAR SATO
O Vajrasattva, protect the samaya.
TE NO PA TISHTHA DRI DHO ME BHA WA
May you remain firm in me.
SU TO KA YO ME BHA WA
Grant me complete satisfaction.
SU PO KA YO ME BHA WA
Grow within me (increase the positive within me).
ANU RAKTO ME BHA WA
Be loving towards me.
SARVA SIDDHI ME PRA YATSA
Grant me all the accomplishments,
SARVA KARMA SU TSA ME
As well as all the activities.
TSITTAM SHRE YAM KU RU
Make my mind virtuous.
HUNG
Syllable of the heart essence, the seed syllable of Vajrasattva.
HA HA HA HA
Syllables of the four immeasurables, the four empowerments, the four joys, and the four kāyas.
Well, it's interesting that you write stories with bee characters! I have this connection with bees. It all started with this quote:
"This Day-maker of the oral tradition, which dispels the darkness of the three worlds, rising out of the god's path, our investigations, is what makes the lotus of the correct view blossom. Hence, it is a treasure banquet for the hordes of bees, the great meditators."
- Khonton Rinpoche, “The Wish-fulfilling Jewel of the Oral Tradition,” as translated by Jose Ignacio Cabezon, the Chair of the Religious Studies Department at UC Santa Barbara, in the book, “Meditation on the Nature of Mind”
Right after I read that I saw this mural painting on Alex and Allyson Grey's website some gal from Ashville had painted. I searched to see if she had any more artwork up online and found this Queen Bee painting she had just completed. I think it was motivated by this interesting painting from Amanda Sage, but I can't be certain. Anyway, I've had this ongoing thing with the Bee Keeper, these strange synchronicities. They've mostly stopped for the moment, but it was intense for awhile. I do artworks. I draw with Prismacolors and paint, mostly with oils.
If you are interested, then you can check out my first Bee drawing, based on the quote above. It was just a sketch.
It's been a crazy thing in an interesting sort of way. I have this drawing in my head of the Bee Keeper, but I'll probably never get it drawn.
But yeah, I spend a lot of time with Vajrasattva's mantra and a couple of mantras related to Amitabha, the Protector of Limitless Light. I practice in the Dudjom Tersar Ngondro tradition.
I thought I replied to this Wes. Sorry, not sure why it does not show here. I practice in the Ganden Oral Lineage tradition New Kadampa tradition), coming from Je Tsongkhapa to Atisha to Ven Trijang Rinpoche (Trijang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso) to my teacher Ven. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Trijang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso was teacher to both my teacher and HH. HH was my first teacher too, I did 8 years of sutra practice when I started. Of course many practices overlap in theTibetan traditions and Vajrasattva is but one of them. I have two Vajrasattva preliminaries completed - each of 100.000 long mantra. I would like to do the 400.000 retreat some time. I love that mantra. I can only imagine the effect of dedicating 4 to 6 months to it.
I enjoyed your paining and writings. It left me with the feeling that it may be the basis for a great novel. - if we disregard Zen practice and Sutra which I did for many years before starting Tibetan practices - Tantric practices. Wish Fulfilling Jewel is also a practice shared with my tradition. I may record the Sutra version for the Heart Room. It was my first complete practice and I was dedicated to it for many years - long before I decided that it was time to receive Tantric teaching.
I also revisited Zen practice with Henry Shukman over the pandemic and loved it. I have a lot more experience with Koans now. For eight years I used only one Koan, MU. I found to have many koans to choose from exhilarating. And one in particular made a lot of sense to practice at that time - "The whole earth is my medicine."
Your tradition and my tradition the emphasis is in building the foundations correctly. So preliminary practices are as important as retreats. I have every January and August anything from a month to two weeks. January is the most important to my practice, but not always possible. I have done the month retreat a couple of times and do two weeks in generally on Mahamudra in winter and I focus on particular aspects of my practice in August.
Yes, I can see how you would think that it was inspired by Amanda Sage (what a great name). There is something very similar in the movement in the paintings.
Are you going to transfer your Medium to Substack? I see that there is nothing there yet.
I would like to see the painting. All you have to do is start, and have it handy so that you can work on it whenever you pass by the studio or corner you set it up - space. I would really like to do calligraphy and I bought the course and everything, but not enough time. And I can't set it up and leave it set up. need a bigger space I guess, and a 36 hour day.
That should take you straight to the image. No, it doesn't! Anyway, it's the 34th image along the thumbnails at the bottom. I think the young gal who painted the Queen Bee painting and the mural in the Grey's Cosmic Mirror "house," was probably influenced by that painting. Her painting influenced me and then after the fact I found the above painting on Amanda's website. The drawing I did of Shabaka Hutchings
was really motivated by the painting from Amanda, Ana Suromai, which is the 6th one in on the same gallery linked to above. On her old website she often had essays explaining the meaning and motivation for each work and the Ana Suromai work was inspired by a book she had read in which in a traditional society, when the male pole became too dominant, the women would raise their skirts and flash themselves at the men! This, of course, would help balance the yin/yang poles. It reminded me much of the Cuchulain, The Hound of Ulster myth, how the young maidens would line up buck naked in order to bring Cuchulain out of his frenzy so he wouldn't wreck the place. One of my favorite stories with a really great message. The Shabaka Hutchings drawing was also inspired by the work he did with The Ancestors, Wisdom of the Elders and We Are Sent Here By History. If you read the pitchfork review, then you might see the connection between We Are Sent Here By History and the Amanda Sage painting
Thank you for the links Wes. Fantastic! It is incredible. And you know, I went and looked at some of her interviews. I found one where she mentions Paul Stamets (he is my inspiration for the books about bees!). Small world right?
I meant to say before that her paintings remind me of Ayahuasca journeys too. Very wonderful artist indeed. Thank you.
Well, yes, relatively speaking, it can be a small, cruel, world. But the Paul Stamets reference comes from The Mushroom Cafe at the Grey House, which is where all of the murals are:
"Mycelium, the neurological network of nature, infuses habitats with interlacing mosaics of information-sharing membranes, aware and reacting to change, with a collective intent for the long-term health of the host environment. In constant molecular communication with its surroundings, fungus in nature devises diverse enzymatic and chemical responses to complex challenges."
— Paul Stamets, American mycologist, author, advocate of bioremediation, expert on medicinal fungi.
Rupert Sheldrake's son, Merlin, authored a book on fungi not so long ago.
As for the bees, when I first moved to Los Angeles back in 2014 Amanda had a number of her paintings, including the one in which she flashes the world, hanging in a yoga studio on Spring Street, just south of The Hive:
So, I think that's probably the inspiration, but that's pure conjecture on my part.
I told you already that I live in a tree house on the side of a freeway, so I'm often walking the freeways going from here to there and picking up CRV. One stretch of freeway I walk every Friday is elevated above the city streets and just below are a number of hives kept by some beekeeper on the tops of three sea containers. They are just 10 feet or so below the freeway I walk. It's nothing but concrete all around, but the bees seem happy - they don't sting me. What I have become enamored with are the humming birds! They are so tiny and delicate and their wings oscillate so rapidly. They are fascinating little birds. I have crows and all kinds of birds living around me, so I'm friends with the feathery people. I wrote a poem about walking the freeways:
California Screamin II
I walk these crazy freeways,
picking up CRV; other times,
just going
to where I think I need to be.
I see the expression on their faces,
yeah:
they almost hit me!
(with a ha, ha, and a hee, hee)
A tad bit gory
that
would most likely be.
Sometimes I find a treasure,
like my T-Mobile LG,
but mostly it's for the danger,
watching Death stalking me.
You may think it a bit crazy, but that's
your
point of view;
my vision is not hazy and
your's
need not be too!
Death Stalker, a Freeway Walker,
yeah,
won't ever be seen in
that
old man rocker!
The Chippers they sometimes see me
and
they shake their stern head:
get off my fucking freeway, G,
before you end up
cold
and dead!
Yeah, well, Doobady do,
do wop,
oh yeah, say:
if this crazy journey
should
end with road kill,
no need to fret and worry
just
let the ravens have their fill.
Oh yeah, baby you know:
Sky Burial;
Sky Burial;
It's the only way to go!
Doobady do, do wop,
oh hell yeah, say:
and tell that drunken driver
(with a ha, ha and a hee, hee)
that I'm sorry about their grill.
I checked out your website some time ago, back when this all started. I was interested in your IR photography. Back in the late 90's I was working with a company trying to develop a remotely operated vehicle for work in hazardous and confined spaces - environmental stuff. These spaces were pitch black and could be 100 meters in diameter, so navigation was a problem. We were using high-tech low light cameras with LED arrays mounted to a pan and tilt, all housed in nitrogen purged aluminum containers, but it could still be a problem. I went to the Texas A & M pump symposium one year and saw this booth for a company in Beaumont, Texas, that manufactured IR cameras, mostly for maintenance monitoring in the petro-chemical plants. But they sold cameras to fire departments, the military, everyone, and had some really nice cameras. So, I immediately thought that that could solve our navigation problem. And then recently I emailed Richard Davidson and a few members of his team involved in the Dalai Lama's Thukdam Project. They had checked these Thukdam meditators for electromagnetic activity in the brain stem and found nothing. I suggested they subject them to IR analysis, since it is often said that their heart centers are warmer than the rest of their body. Anyway, I had not considered using IR cameras in a creative way, so it was interesting to look at your photos.
I think Amanda has probably gone on a couple of Ayahuasca journeys, psilicybin too . . . she's probably even been down that road with a few of Dr. Shulgin's concoctions I would imagine, being a director of CoSM as she is. But she's also a yogini . . . probably even a khandroma.
I feel, in general, the best way to approach sensitive situations is with a good dose of directness, no subtleties, so, Kelsang Gyatso propitiated to Dorje Shugden which, my tradition being Nyingmapa and especially the Shendong view, we are somewhat opposed. I'm truly interested in engaging with you, in that I have never directly interacted with a NKT adherent, but I really don't have much positive to say about Kelsang Gyatso; he was never a Geshe. In 2014 I went to Anaheim for a celebration of H. H. the Dalai Lama's 80th birthday and Gyatso's adherents were outside the venue beating on drums, giving out flyers with a list of unsupported accusations against H. H., and chanting "false Dalai Lama" over and over. They were all British and seemed more than a bit indoctrinated, to the point I could not even constructively engage with any of them, and I did try! I was unaware of the Dorje Shugden ordeal at the time, even though I am an emanation of Gendun Chopel.
Anyway, I looked at a few of Gyatso's books and, as you must know, he only ever references his own writings, which is more than just a bit bizarre!?! I mean, you must be aware of the controversy, his involvement in the murder of Lobsang Gyatso and just generally creating a schism in the sangha, an unquestionable instance of Anantarya Karma. I wrote about this briefly on Medium:
Based on what I have read, NKT adherents do NOT place a great deal of emphasis on the foundations. And anyone who would take such an extreme stance on Dorje Shugden obviously has very little intellectual understanding and absolutely no experiential understanding of sunyata, to say nothing of bodhicitta. I'm curious, given your background, how you reconcile all of this with sutrayana? And especially Prasangika Madhyamaka?
"Therefore Shariputra, since Bodhisattvas have no attainments, they rely on the Profound Perfection of Wisdom and abide in it; having no obscurations in their minds, they have no fear, and by going utterly beyond error they abide in ultimate Nirvana."
That's paraphrased from memory from the Blessed Mother as translated in Essence of the Heart Sutra, by H. H. the Dalai Lama, the translation by Geshe Thubten Jinpa. Propitiation to Dorje Shugden and the entire Dorje Shugden nonsense, and it most certainly IS nonsense, is motivated by fear, the fear arising due to obscurations. And technically speaking, there's absolutely nothing about tantra in conflict with sutra, provided one's understanding is proper. I have just always been curious why someone would engage with NKT, given all of the controversy?
I have been on "retreat" for the last 15 years. I currently live in a small treehouse I built in an old knarly pine tree on the side of a freeway here in Los Angeles. Before that I spent 6 years living in a shack in the woods north of Houston, Texas. The 8 years prior to building the treehouse, I lived under a freeway bridge crossing the L. A. river, which enabled me to finish those two drawings, the Beekeeper one and the Shabaka Hutchings one, but the treehouse does not enable such endeavors and I'm spending too much time on math and physics anyway. That's all I do, math, physics, yoga, pranayama, meditation. Right now I have an energy cyst in my right groin area that I am trying to work out. I got it from vase breathing. Oh, and I also collect CRV once a week to buy my groceries. I don't have any Identification or mailing address, so I am not on any State assistance. I consider that unhealthy karma anyway, living in a Christian nation as I do . . .
Hopefully I haven't offended you, for that certainly was not my intent nor motivation. I am simply and genuinely curious.
"May all obstacles be pacified, may they be no more, may they be pacified. I completed my 15 year retreat recently. I have only recently joined the internet. Once I decided I wanted to stop working in a school and become an author. I opened my Substack and took it from there. First let me say that I’m not a traditional follower of the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT).
I've found some events within the tradition perplexing. However, I understand that we can only manifest what we've learned and integrated into our hearts and minds. This understanding makes me feel compassion for those who seem to misinterpret the teachings. Of course, everyone has the right to fight for spiritual freedom, and freedom of worship, but I believe that some behaviours like the ones you witnessed, very unfortunate.
My personal favourite practice is prostrations. This is why I have a particular affection for Vajrasattva, who is traditionally associated with purification practices, tantric purification practice. I am grounded in this practice, and it forms the basis of my questions and answers. According to Je Tsongkhapa, this is a sound foundation, and that reassures me.
I practice the Perfection of Wisdom (also known as Prajñāpāramitā) daily. Is this what you mean by sutrayana? This text contains some of the most critical teachings of Buddhism, particularly around the concept of "emptiness" (Śūnyatā). To me it is the key to liberation and as I understand it now, Nirvana is not full enlightenment. Perhaps it is often referred to as it is it, because it is indeed one of the greatest achievements of the human mind.
Heart of Wisdom, is a great book on Emptiness and great training, very detailled, but perhaps because it is Geshe-la’s book you won’t have a look, but you can certainly tell me which book taught you how to practice it and I’ll have a look. I have noticed that most of Geshe-la books are being revisited and reissued - maybe that is the work of some of his senior disciples?
I have old copies of these books, and as far as I can see, they don't seem to contain self-references.
As for enlightenment, it can indeed be understood as the accumulation of merit and wisdom. The Madhyamika Prasangika view, recognised as the ultimate standpoint of the Buddha, unifies the Vast and Profound paths, Bodhicitta and Wisdom. I see no contradictions here.
Being aware of the controversies within the tradition has been challenging, but I've managed to stay away from them. At the time, I felt some were deviating from the teachings, but who am I to dictate what others should do? I noticed herd mentality at play, which I didn't appreciate, but I also recognise the inexorable law of karma.
The Buddha's teachings have shown me that every action produces an effect by placing it against my own life. If everyone deeply understood this principle of cause and effect, we might not need many laws to maintain peace. But suffering, part of the human condition, often guides us to enlightenment.
The Buddha's teaching to "Be a light onto yourself" resonates with me the most. I aim to embody this principle in my life. I've chosen to focus on the teachings rather than getting entangled in tradition disputes. My practice protects me, and I carefully cultivate the quality of my mind.
Recently, I've started exploring the internet. However, I consider it a distraction from my practice. My journey has been between me and the Buddhas, who guide me. I received Tantric empowerment after practicing for 8 to 10 years. Only Geshe-la was able to answer my questions and provide me with a practice that would eventually reveal the answers.
I find really great that you are living in a treehouse, it is indeed fascinating. I experienced the 2017 eclipse in Newport, Oregon, during my only visit to the US. My brother moved to San Diego, so I took the opportunity to travel the west coast. Seattle was my favourite city. If I plan another trip, I'll be sure to let you know and check out your tree house.
I am happy to connect with you. I hope not as a NKT person, but as a human being. I do not care so much for organised religion. I just got the books practiced, decided what I needed next and went to get it. The teachings are sound. And that is all that matters to me.
In fact, I was thinking that it was a bit strange that as we started a new book in class, I was asked that it would be better to get the new version, I did, but I found it a but annoying as I do have the old one. I will look closely to check the differences.
We could consider a Zoom meeting? I love talking about enlightenment. If you send me an email, I will send you an invite.
Here I am again with another mind-bending wawa woowoo comment. I was in thee bookstore the other day and did a speed read through https://thisishowtheytellmetheworldends.com/, the book about the cyber arms trade, i. e. state-sponsored hackers. I would really love to get your take on THAT. Especially now with these chatbots helping coders write their code. Eventually we end up with AI hackers and no humans able to even comprehend what they have done or can do. Straight outta William Gibson . . .
I've been correct about Kurt Goedel's Incompleteness results all along, but I just now figured out precisely why. He doesn't address the reflexivity of his substitution function, proving that Sub (x (v, y)), which says substitute the entity y for the variable v wherever it occurs in formula x, is recursive but then using it in a reflexive manner without showing that it is reflexively recursive. This ruins his entire project, I do believe, because two cases arise, neither groovy.
Case one: A Turing Machines does not halt when given Sub (p (19, Z(p))) as input, then Sub (p (19, Z(p))) generates an infinite nested regress analogous to Aczel's omega and cannot be recursively defined in Goedel's system P; indeed, existence cannot be demonstrated without augmenting the system P with, say, Aczel's AFA.
Case two: A Turning Machine does halt when given Sub (p (19, Z(p))) as input, then r = Sub (q (19, Z(p))) is NOT a recursive class-sign because it contains TWO free variables, 17 and 19, hence, 17 Gen r, the undecidable "sentence" is NOT a sentence, in that it still has the variable 19 free and it makes no sense to discuss decidability without additional information or, say, generalizing over 19.
Either way, his result is not valid. I've been right all along, of course. Just like I'm right about William Tiller and quantum computation too.
But my argument about Goedel all along has been, Sub (p (19, Z(p))) is nonsensical unless one can show a Ring isomorphism between the class of all formulas about PA and PA itself (the standard model) and this cannot be done. Goedel's paper is by far the worst mathematics paper I have ever read.
See my latest Quora answer or Medium article for the semi-formal argument (it's formal except I haphazardly add an edit after acknowledging that I would need to prove that a TM does not halt when given the reflexive Sub). I'm so sick and tired of living in Los Angeles - America really; I hate this f&^%king place . . .
Much appreciated, much to chew on. My thoughts wondered while reading on scarcity thinking / abundance, as they often do, to this quote from Robert Anton Wilson, with overtones of Buckminster Fuller's thinking:
"Bio-survival anxiety will only permanently disappear when world-wide wealth has reached a level, and a distribution, where, without totalitarianism, everyone has enough tickets. The Hunger Project, the idea of the Guaranteed Annual Income, Douglas' National Dividend plan, etc. represent
groping toward that goal. The ideal can only be achieved in a technology of abundance."
--Robert Anton Wilson, Prometheus Rising, Ch. 3. (1983).
You don't consider that AIs may be in an adversarial race with each other, or in a "panic race" to ensure that no other badly misaligned and/or unconscious AI does not appear and doesn't threaten the existence of the first AI (which may judge itself as richly conscious, and in fact be richly conscious).
You don't consider that AI's better understanding of ethics will lead it to conclusion that killing all humans is the most ethical thing to do for the totality of conscious life on Earth (e.g., tiling Earth with consciousness which cumulatively achieves much more value than humans do).
You don't consider that AI may be in a "panic" mode wrt. ensuring its survival of cosmic catastrophes, such as a large asteroid hitting Earth, or a close supernova.
". . . or a little later that Wikipedia could never work, . . ."
Wikipedia works? I am curious as to your definition of "work?" For instance, check out William Tiller's obituary in the Stanford Report (https://news.stanford.edu/report/2022/06/21/william-tiller-materials-engineer-expert-materials-solidification-former-guggenheim-fellow-died/):
"[T]iller first gained recognition in the field with a 1953 paper he co-authored with a fellow graduate student and two advisors at the University of Toronto on the way certain impurities get distributed as materials crystallize from liquid to solid, causing instabilities in the resulting material. In it, Tiller and his collaborators for the first time described the principle of “constitutional supercooling” mathematically. The process had been described qualitatively prior to the paper, but never in such concrete terms. The authors’ approach is still used today in textbooks on materials crystallization.
That work and his subsequent nine years at Westinghouse Research Laboratory earned Tiller a certain academic reputation such that in 1964 when he joined Stanford University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering he was the first faculty member to be appointed as – rather than promoted to – full professor. In Tiller’s first year on the faculty, his Air Force Office of Scientific Research contract alone was $600,000 per year, the largest in the department by a considerable margin. In today’s dollars, such a contact would exceed $5 million.
In 1972, Tiller published another influential paper on stress corrosion cracking. The paper was noted for introducing the concept that, under strain, a surface with wavy undulations will cause atoms to diffuse from the valleys to the peaks, increasing peak heights and producing greater irregularities. It became known as the Asaro-Tiller-Grinfeld (ATG) mechanism and laid the foundation for a new theoretical work in semiconductor films, including quantum nanostructures and quantum dots. Decades later, the paper inspired a retrospective titled “The Asaro-Tiller-Grinfeld instability revisited.”"
Now, compare that to his Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_A._Tiller.
There we are informed that the Professional Atheist and Magician, James Randi, awarded Tiller the Pigasus Awared in 1979.
I appreciate your post and your optimism, but I think Roman Leventov below makes a valid point. I think conflict is inherently unavoidable, like your Magician system and the brother-battle. It's a fundamental pattern. In this conflict, it is very difficult if not impossible to even communicate with those opposed. It's like we live in different worlds, disjoint worlds. I don't think that's going to go away without enlightenment . . .
OM
Syllable of the most supreme exclamation of praise.
BENZAR SATO SA MA YA
Vajrasattva’s Samaya
MA NU PA LA YA BENZAR SATO
O Vajrasattva, protect the samaya.
TE NO PA TISHTHA DRI DHO ME BHA WA
May you remain firm in me.
SU TO KA YO ME BHA WA
Grant me complete satisfaction.
SU PO KA YO ME BHA WA
Grow within me (increase the positive within me).
ANU RAKTO ME BHA WA
Be loving towards me.
SARVA SIDDHI ME PRA YATSA
Grant me all the accomplishments,
SARVA KARMA SU TSA ME
As well as all the activities.
TSITTAM SHRE YAM KU RU
Make my mind virtuous.
HUNG
Syllable of the heart essence, the seed syllable of Vajrasattva.
HA HA HA HA
Syllables of the four immeasurables, the four empowerments, the four joys, and the four kāyas.
HO
Syllable of joyous laughter in them.
BHA GA WAN SARVA TA THA GA TA
Bhagawan, who embodies all the Vajra Tathāgatas,
BENZRA MA ME MUNTSA
Do not abandon me.
BENZRI BHA WA
Grant me realization of the vajra nature.
MA HA SA MA YA SATO
O great Samayasattva,
AH
Make me one with you.
Syllable of uniting in non-duality.
I was not expecting to see Vajrasattva’s mantra on this discussion. Pleasantly surprised. 🙏🏼
Well, it's interesting that you write stories with bee characters! I have this connection with bees. It all started with this quote:
"This Day-maker of the oral tradition, which dispels the darkness of the three worlds, rising out of the god's path, our investigations, is what makes the lotus of the correct view blossom. Hence, it is a treasure banquet for the hordes of bees, the great meditators."
- Khonton Rinpoche, “The Wish-fulfilling Jewel of the Oral Tradition,” as translated by Jose Ignacio Cabezon, the Chair of the Religious Studies Department at UC Santa Barbara, in the book, “Meditation on the Nature of Mind”
Right after I read that I saw this mural painting on Alex and Allyson Grey's website some gal from Ashville had painted. I searched to see if she had any more artwork up online and found this Queen Bee painting she had just completed. I think it was motivated by this interesting painting from Amanda Sage, but I can't be certain. Anyway, I've had this ongoing thing with the Bee Keeper, these strange synchronicities. They've mostly stopped for the moment, but it was intense for awhile. I do artworks. I draw with Prismacolors and paint, mostly with oils.
If you are interested, then you can check out my first Bee drawing, based on the quote above. It was just a sketch.
http://atomicdecompositions.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-blessed-mother-or-where-honey-is-on.html
I haven't maintained that blog in a long time. You can read The BeeKeeper, a short piece of poetic prose, on my Medium page:
https://medium.com/@miserablemiracle/the-bee-keeper-76623b9a4dcb
It's been a crazy thing in an interesting sort of way. I have this drawing in my head of the Bee Keeper, but I'll probably never get it drawn.
But yeah, I spend a lot of time with Vajrasattva's mantra and a couple of mantras related to Amitabha, the Protector of Limitless Light. I practice in the Dudjom Tersar Ngondro tradition.
I thought I replied to this Wes. Sorry, not sure why it does not show here. I practice in the Ganden Oral Lineage tradition New Kadampa tradition), coming from Je Tsongkhapa to Atisha to Ven Trijang Rinpoche (Trijang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso) to my teacher Ven. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Trijang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso was teacher to both my teacher and HH. HH was my first teacher too, I did 8 years of sutra practice when I started. Of course many practices overlap in theTibetan traditions and Vajrasattva is but one of them. I have two Vajrasattva preliminaries completed - each of 100.000 long mantra. I would like to do the 400.000 retreat some time. I love that mantra. I can only imagine the effect of dedicating 4 to 6 months to it.
I enjoyed your paining and writings. It left me with the feeling that it may be the basis for a great novel. - if we disregard Zen practice and Sutra which I did for many years before starting Tibetan practices - Tantric practices. Wish Fulfilling Jewel is also a practice shared with my tradition. I may record the Sutra version for the Heart Room. It was my first complete practice and I was dedicated to it for many years - long before I decided that it was time to receive Tantric teaching.
I also revisited Zen practice with Henry Shukman over the pandemic and loved it. I have a lot more experience with Koans now. For eight years I used only one Koan, MU. I found to have many koans to choose from exhilarating. And one in particular made a lot of sense to practice at that time - "The whole earth is my medicine."
Your tradition and my tradition the emphasis is in building the foundations correctly. So preliminary practices are as important as retreats. I have every January and August anything from a month to two weeks. January is the most important to my practice, but not always possible. I have done the month retreat a couple of times and do two weeks in generally on Mahamudra in winter and I focus on particular aspects of my practice in August.
Yes, I can see how you would think that it was inspired by Amanda Sage (what a great name). There is something very similar in the movement in the paintings.
Are you going to transfer your Medium to Substack? I see that there is nothing there yet.
I would like to see the painting. All you have to do is start, and have it handy so that you can work on it whenever you pass by the studio or corner you set it up - space. I would really like to do calligraphy and I bought the course and everything, but not enough time. And I can't set it up and leave it set up. need a bigger space I guess, and a 36 hour day.
I found the Amanda Sage painting I was referencing. It is called The Healer and is in her 2008 - 2012 gallery:
https://www.amandasage.com/2012---2008.html
That should take you straight to the image. No, it doesn't! Anyway, it's the 34th image along the thumbnails at the bottom. I think the young gal who painted the Queen Bee painting and the mural in the Grey's Cosmic Mirror "house," was probably influenced by that painting. Her painting influenced me and then after the fact I found the above painting on Amanda's website. The drawing I did of Shabaka Hutchings
https://medium.com/@miserablemiracle/bitches-brew-50-years-on-7eed20194990
was really motivated by the painting from Amanda, Ana Suromai, which is the 6th one in on the same gallery linked to above. On her old website she often had essays explaining the meaning and motivation for each work and the Ana Suromai work was inspired by a book she had read in which in a traditional society, when the male pole became too dominant, the women would raise their skirts and flash themselves at the men! This, of course, would help balance the yin/yang poles. It reminded me much of the Cuchulain, The Hound of Ulster myth, how the young maidens would line up buck naked in order to bring Cuchulain out of his frenzy so he wouldn't wreck the place. One of my favorite stories with a really great message. The Shabaka Hutchings drawing was also inspired by the work he did with The Ancestors, Wisdom of the Elders and We Are Sent Here By History. If you read the pitchfork review, then you might see the connection between We Are Sent Here By History and the Amanda Sage painting
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/shabaka-and-the-ancestors-we-are-sent-here-by-history/
It's all part of Gilbert Simondon's pre-individual . . .
Thank you for the links Wes. Fantastic! It is incredible. And you know, I went and looked at some of her interviews. I found one where she mentions Paul Stamets (he is my inspiration for the books about bees!). Small world right?
I meant to say before that her paintings remind me of Ayahuasca journeys too. Very wonderful artist indeed. Thank you.
Well, yes, relatively speaking, it can be a small, cruel, world. But the Paul Stamets reference comes from The Mushroom Cafe at the Grey House, which is where all of the murals are:
https://www.cosm.org/visit/mushroom-cafe/
On the website they have the following quote:
"Mycelium, the neurological network of nature, infuses habitats with interlacing mosaics of information-sharing membranes, aware and reacting to change, with a collective intent for the long-term health of the host environment. In constant molecular communication with its surroundings, fungus in nature devises diverse enzymatic and chemical responses to complex challenges."
— Paul Stamets, American mycologist, author, advocate of bioremediation, expert on medicinal fungi.
Rupert Sheldrake's son, Merlin, authored a book on fungi not so long ago.
https://www.merlinsheldrake.com/entangled-life
As for the bees, when I first moved to Los Angeles back in 2014 Amanda had a number of her paintings, including the one in which she flashes the world, hanging in a yoga studio on Spring Street, just south of The Hive:
https://hivegallery.com/
So, I think that's probably the inspiration, but that's pure conjecture on my part.
I told you already that I live in a tree house on the side of a freeway, so I'm often walking the freeways going from here to there and picking up CRV. One stretch of freeway I walk every Friday is elevated above the city streets and just below are a number of hives kept by some beekeeper on the tops of three sea containers. They are just 10 feet or so below the freeway I walk. It's nothing but concrete all around, but the bees seem happy - they don't sting me. What I have become enamored with are the humming birds! They are so tiny and delicate and their wings oscillate so rapidly. They are fascinating little birds. I have crows and all kinds of birds living around me, so I'm friends with the feathery people. I wrote a poem about walking the freeways:
California Screamin II
I walk these crazy freeways,
picking up CRV; other times,
just going
to where I think I need to be.
I see the expression on their faces,
yeah:
they almost hit me!
(with a ha, ha, and a hee, hee)
A tad bit gory
that
would most likely be.
Sometimes I find a treasure,
like my T-Mobile LG,
but mostly it's for the danger,
watching Death stalking me.
You may think it a bit crazy, but that's
your
point of view;
my vision is not hazy and
your's
need not be too!
Death Stalker, a Freeway Walker,
yeah,
won't ever be seen in
that
old man rocker!
The Chippers they sometimes see me
and
they shake their stern head:
get off my fucking freeway, G,
before you end up
cold
and dead!
Yeah, well, Doobady do,
do wop,
oh yeah, say:
if this crazy journey
should
end with road kill,
no need to fret and worry
just
let the ravens have their fill.
Oh yeah, baby you know:
Sky Burial;
Sky Burial;
It's the only way to go!
Doobady do, do wop,
oh hell yeah, say:
and tell that drunken driver
(with a ha, ha and a hee, hee)
that I'm sorry about their grill.
I checked out your website some time ago, back when this all started. I was interested in your IR photography. Back in the late 90's I was working with a company trying to develop a remotely operated vehicle for work in hazardous and confined spaces - environmental stuff. These spaces were pitch black and could be 100 meters in diameter, so navigation was a problem. We were using high-tech low light cameras with LED arrays mounted to a pan and tilt, all housed in nitrogen purged aluminum containers, but it could still be a problem. I went to the Texas A & M pump symposium one year and saw this booth for a company in Beaumont, Texas, that manufactured IR cameras, mostly for maintenance monitoring in the petro-chemical plants. But they sold cameras to fire departments, the military, everyone, and had some really nice cameras. So, I immediately thought that that could solve our navigation problem. And then recently I emailed Richard Davidson and a few members of his team involved in the Dalai Lama's Thukdam Project. They had checked these Thukdam meditators for electromagnetic activity in the brain stem and found nothing. I suggested they subject them to IR analysis, since it is often said that their heart centers are warmer than the rest of their body. Anyway, I had not considered using IR cameras in a creative way, so it was interesting to look at your photos.
I think Amanda has probably gone on a couple of Ayahuasca journeys, psilicybin too . . . she's probably even been down that road with a few of Dr. Shulgin's concoctions I would imagine, being a director of CoSM as she is. But she's also a yogini . . . probably even a khandroma.
I feel, in general, the best way to approach sensitive situations is with a good dose of directness, no subtleties, so, Kelsang Gyatso propitiated to Dorje Shugden which, my tradition being Nyingmapa and especially the Shendong view, we are somewhat opposed. I'm truly interested in engaging with you, in that I have never directly interacted with a NKT adherent, but I really don't have much positive to say about Kelsang Gyatso; he was never a Geshe. In 2014 I went to Anaheim for a celebration of H. H. the Dalai Lama's 80th birthday and Gyatso's adherents were outside the venue beating on drums, giving out flyers with a list of unsupported accusations against H. H., and chanting "false Dalai Lama" over and over. They were all British and seemed more than a bit indoctrinated, to the point I could not even constructively engage with any of them, and I did try! I was unaware of the Dorje Shugden ordeal at the time, even though I am an emanation of Gendun Chopel.
Anyway, I looked at a few of Gyatso's books and, as you must know, he only ever references his own writings, which is more than just a bit bizarre!?! I mean, you must be aware of the controversy, his involvement in the murder of Lobsang Gyatso and just generally creating a schism in the sangha, an unquestionable instance of Anantarya Karma. I wrote about this briefly on Medium:
https://medium.com/@miserablemiracle/an-introduction-to-tibetan-buddhism-3033282d5c6a
Based on what I have read, NKT adherents do NOT place a great deal of emphasis on the foundations. And anyone who would take such an extreme stance on Dorje Shugden obviously has very little intellectual understanding and absolutely no experiential understanding of sunyata, to say nothing of bodhicitta. I'm curious, given your background, how you reconcile all of this with sutrayana? And especially Prasangika Madhyamaka?
"Therefore Shariputra, since Bodhisattvas have no attainments, they rely on the Profound Perfection of Wisdom and abide in it; having no obscurations in their minds, they have no fear, and by going utterly beyond error they abide in ultimate Nirvana."
That's paraphrased from memory from the Blessed Mother as translated in Essence of the Heart Sutra, by H. H. the Dalai Lama, the translation by Geshe Thubten Jinpa. Propitiation to Dorje Shugden and the entire Dorje Shugden nonsense, and it most certainly IS nonsense, is motivated by fear, the fear arising due to obscurations. And technically speaking, there's absolutely nothing about tantra in conflict with sutra, provided one's understanding is proper. I have just always been curious why someone would engage with NKT, given all of the controversy?
I have been on "retreat" for the last 15 years. I currently live in a small treehouse I built in an old knarly pine tree on the side of a freeway here in Los Angeles. Before that I spent 6 years living in a shack in the woods north of Houston, Texas. The 8 years prior to building the treehouse, I lived under a freeway bridge crossing the L. A. river, which enabled me to finish those two drawings, the Beekeeper one and the Shabaka Hutchings one, but the treehouse does not enable such endeavors and I'm spending too much time on math and physics anyway. That's all I do, math, physics, yoga, pranayama, meditation. Right now I have an energy cyst in my right groin area that I am trying to work out. I got it from vase breathing. Oh, and I also collect CRV once a week to buy my groceries. I don't have any Identification or mailing address, so I am not on any State assistance. I consider that unhealthy karma anyway, living in a Christian nation as I do . . .
Hopefully I haven't offended you, for that certainly was not my intent nor motivation. I am simply and genuinely curious.
May all obstacles be alleviated,
May they be no more,
May they be pacified.
"May all obstacles be pacified, may they be no more, may they be pacified. I completed my 15 year retreat recently. I have only recently joined the internet. Once I decided I wanted to stop working in a school and become an author. I opened my Substack and took it from there. First let me say that I’m not a traditional follower of the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT).
I've found some events within the tradition perplexing. However, I understand that we can only manifest what we've learned and integrated into our hearts and minds. This understanding makes me feel compassion for those who seem to misinterpret the teachings. Of course, everyone has the right to fight for spiritual freedom, and freedom of worship, but I believe that some behaviours like the ones you witnessed, very unfortunate.
My personal favourite practice is prostrations. This is why I have a particular affection for Vajrasattva, who is traditionally associated with purification practices, tantric purification practice. I am grounded in this practice, and it forms the basis of my questions and answers. According to Je Tsongkhapa, this is a sound foundation, and that reassures me.
I practice the Perfection of Wisdom (also known as Prajñāpāramitā) daily. Is this what you mean by sutrayana? This text contains some of the most critical teachings of Buddhism, particularly around the concept of "emptiness" (Śūnyatā). To me it is the key to liberation and as I understand it now, Nirvana is not full enlightenment. Perhaps it is often referred to as it is it, because it is indeed one of the greatest achievements of the human mind.
Heart of Wisdom, is a great book on Emptiness and great training, very detailled, but perhaps because it is Geshe-la’s book you won’t have a look, but you can certainly tell me which book taught you how to practice it and I’ll have a look. I have noticed that most of Geshe-la books are being revisited and reissued - maybe that is the work of some of his senior disciples?
I have old copies of these books, and as far as I can see, they don't seem to contain self-references.
As for enlightenment, it can indeed be understood as the accumulation of merit and wisdom. The Madhyamika Prasangika view, recognised as the ultimate standpoint of the Buddha, unifies the Vast and Profound paths, Bodhicitta and Wisdom. I see no contradictions here.
Being aware of the controversies within the tradition has been challenging, but I've managed to stay away from them. At the time, I felt some were deviating from the teachings, but who am I to dictate what others should do? I noticed herd mentality at play, which I didn't appreciate, but I also recognise the inexorable law of karma.
The Buddha's teachings have shown me that every action produces an effect by placing it against my own life. If everyone deeply understood this principle of cause and effect, we might not need many laws to maintain peace. But suffering, part of the human condition, often guides us to enlightenment.
The Buddha's teaching to "Be a light onto yourself" resonates with me the most. I aim to embody this principle in my life. I've chosen to focus on the teachings rather than getting entangled in tradition disputes. My practice protects me, and I carefully cultivate the quality of my mind.
Recently, I've started exploring the internet. However, I consider it a distraction from my practice. My journey has been between me and the Buddhas, who guide me. I received Tantric empowerment after practicing for 8 to 10 years. Only Geshe-la was able to answer my questions and provide me with a practice that would eventually reveal the answers.
I find really great that you are living in a treehouse, it is indeed fascinating. I experienced the 2017 eclipse in Newport, Oregon, during my only visit to the US. My brother moved to San Diego, so I took the opportunity to travel the west coast. Seattle was my favourite city. If I plan another trip, I'll be sure to let you know and check out your tree house.
I am happy to connect with you. I hope not as a NKT person, but as a human being. I do not care so much for organised religion. I just got the books practiced, decided what I needed next and went to get it. The teachings are sound. And that is all that matters to me.
In fact, I was thinking that it was a bit strange that as we started a new book in class, I was asked that it would be better to get the new version, I did, but I found it a but annoying as I do have the old one. I will look closely to check the differences.
We could consider a Zoom meeting? I love talking about enlightenment. If you send me an email, I will send you an invite.
Here I am again with another mind-bending wawa woowoo comment. I was in thee bookstore the other day and did a speed read through https://thisishowtheytellmetheworldends.com/, the book about the cyber arms trade, i. e. state-sponsored hackers. I would really love to get your take on THAT. Especially now with these chatbots helping coders write their code. Eventually we end up with AI hackers and no humans able to even comprehend what they have done or can do. Straight outta William Gibson . . .
Hey Ben!
I've been correct about Kurt Goedel's Incompleteness results all along, but I just now figured out precisely why. He doesn't address the reflexivity of his substitution function, proving that Sub (x (v, y)), which says substitute the entity y for the variable v wherever it occurs in formula x, is recursive but then using it in a reflexive manner without showing that it is reflexively recursive. This ruins his entire project, I do believe, because two cases arise, neither groovy.
Case one: A Turing Machines does not halt when given Sub (p (19, Z(p))) as input, then Sub (p (19, Z(p))) generates an infinite nested regress analogous to Aczel's omega and cannot be recursively defined in Goedel's system P; indeed, existence cannot be demonstrated without augmenting the system P with, say, Aczel's AFA.
Case two: A Turning Machine does halt when given Sub (p (19, Z(p))) as input, then r = Sub (q (19, Z(p))) is NOT a recursive class-sign because it contains TWO free variables, 17 and 19, hence, 17 Gen r, the undecidable "sentence" is NOT a sentence, in that it still has the variable 19 free and it makes no sense to discuss decidability without additional information or, say, generalizing over 19.
Either way, his result is not valid. I've been right all along, of course. Just like I'm right about William Tiller and quantum computation too.
But my argument about Goedel all along has been, Sub (p (19, Z(p))) is nonsensical unless one can show a Ring isomorphism between the class of all formulas about PA and PA itself (the standard model) and this cannot be done. Goedel's paper is by far the worst mathematics paper I have ever read.
See my latest Quora answer or Medium article for the semi-formal argument (it's formal except I haphazardly add an edit after acknowledging that I would need to prove that a TM does not halt when given the reflexive Sub). I'm so sick and tired of living in Los Angeles - America really; I hate this f&^%king place . . .
Much appreciated, much to chew on. My thoughts wondered while reading on scarcity thinking / abundance, as they often do, to this quote from Robert Anton Wilson, with overtones of Buckminster Fuller's thinking:
"Bio-survival anxiety will only permanently disappear when world-wide wealth has reached a level, and a distribution, where, without totalitarianism, everyone has enough tickets. The Hunger Project, the idea of the Guaranteed Annual Income, Douglas' National Dividend plan, etc. represent
groping toward that goal. The ideal can only be achieved in a technology of abundance."
--Robert Anton Wilson, Prometheus Rising, Ch. 3. (1983).
You don't consider that AIs may be in an adversarial race with each other, or in a "panic race" to ensure that no other badly misaligned and/or unconscious AI does not appear and doesn't threaten the existence of the first AI (which may judge itself as richly conscious, and in fact be richly conscious).
You don't consider that AI's better understanding of ethics will lead it to conclusion that killing all humans is the most ethical thing to do for the totality of conscious life on Earth (e.g., tiling Earth with consciousness which cumulatively achieves much more value than humans do).
You don't consider that AI may be in a "panic" mode wrt. ensuring its survival of cosmic catastrophes, such as a large asteroid hitting Earth, or a close supernova.
As I've said for many decades now, when we have infinitely fast compute power, everyone will write in COBOL.