Seth Ananda

Hi, Day two of occupy Melbourne yesterday, I spent most of the Day suspending a very large Tarp to serve as a sleeping shelter. It was a fulfilling day. Again, most of the white 'middle class' people I saw there [and note there were plenty of 'lower class' people as well] were speaking out against War, {not asking for a share of the loot as Twinner keeps ignorantly postulating} Asking for Aborigional Land rights, not more loot. Asking for more constraints on Corporations, not more loot. Demanding Total Accountability for Corrupt politicians in cahoots with corporate Interests, not larger pay. Asking for proper Enviromental protection laws, not a fatter pay check... Of course I still support unionists with demands for better working conditions which some times includes pay rises, and I do support people in not wanting to see the Government try to profit as much as possible by making people pay for their educations, and that does help a struggling students pocket which is already very slim... But saying that just because {some of} the protesters are middle class means that the Entire movement is just Greedy people wanting more is one of the stupidest assertions that can be made. In many Instances I think the people here want less, they call for reforms that will limit mass production and enviromental exploitation, thus the result being, having less.

Just spent the day at Occupy Melbourne, and it feels like a good start for here. Lots of Good people, lots of good talks, some pretty dodgy ones as well, but all round it was goodness. People with big hearts, daring to think big, and wanting to change our current one way track down the shit hole. No one seemed overly philosophically paralysed, as in they were capable of taking a stand on these Important issues, and not just blab on about how change 'only' comes from within, which I might add is a very strange Bias. One may as well give up food as one should only rely on 'within'... lol. The free market Right [which only serves the rich] did not seem to show up, which was nice as the young Liberal party here used to send in their goons to beat people up at these kind of demo's. Also Had a great conversation with a young Swede that Joe Blast would have loved. He talked about how great Sweden has been and how well everything has worked -something the American system of Always Awesome All the Time, has never seen anything close too, despite joe's right wing ramblings- and he described how sad it was that Swedish society has been slowly moving to the Right. He said that a big part of it, is that more and more Swedish company's leaders are moving to places where they wont be Taxed in such large percentages. But there it is. Their system was working till greedy Individuals found a way to get Unregulated. That is why {just one of the many good reasons] regulations are so important. They control corporate mischief, stop Massive company's just steam rolling over all little company's [which free market allows on a massive scale] and move us away from the current economic dictatorship we are currently facing. To me it seems obvious that the UN or the respective country's involved should be allowed to put trade sanctions on rich business owners so that they can not escape to a Tax free existence somewhere else...

I just did Jenny's seminar here In melbourne, and it was very very good Her take on the Max situation was Interesting. She has great love for him, called him a Dharma brother from other lives... But he told her he had written a book and said he would bring it around for her to see, and never did. Then she realised that the main part of it was her stuff, as people kept finding her and saying, this is what Max teaches, why are you not more acknowledged? [in my copy of pillars of bliss, he acknowledges Jenny Wu as 'my sister in the Kunlun tradition who taught me to push forward'] {my observation is - where is the Credit for her being the actual lineage holder of the spontaneous form?} Then eventually when Max wanted to reprint, he sent a student round to show her the planned print, and they said we will give you credit as the lineage holder, but we need you to sign off on the what we have written. Jenny read it and said sorry I can not Lie, ever so I can not sign off. The history here is a total Fabrication, and If I lie for Max, I create bad Karma for both him and me, which I will not do. So she seemed a bit sad, and said her hands are tied. She loves Max, but cannot support his Lies. Now when i learned Kunlun, I got to peruse through the teachers hard drives, and unfortunately saw a file on the original planned story for How Kan met Max. It was probably filmed by Mantra if I am remembering it right, but It is completely different to the current online story of how Kan met Max. To me this is proof I unfortunatly can not show anyone, that both Kan and Max are both happy to be completely fraudulent. The origional planned story had Kan as a blackbelt student of some martial artist in Japan, sitting with his teacher watching a Demo from Max. Now Max is on stage, and 'volunteers' from the audience are getting up to try to attack him, but his powers are too real and they instead roll around on the floor... It showed the footage of this 'obviously' staged event. Kan then says his teacher gets outraged and tells him to go up their and break Max's spine {or some such drastic thing} and It goes pack to the performance footage, where Kan gets up on stage, tries to attack Max, but rolls around on the floor just like a golden Bamboo demo. Kan then tries a few more times before submitting and asking to become Maxes student. All this was described conversationally, by Kan and Max, in an interview setting, with flashes to footage from the event. It was obviously going to be a public release. I think Max wised up to general public opinion, around MMA fighters punching Golden Bamboo masters in the face. He probably realised that if he released that footage, he would have people other than gullibale students who just roll around from his 'energy' actually trying to punch him in the face. He backed out just quick enough. He Initially wanted people to believe that he really could stop attackers with energy, which is partially seen even in his movie, with all the allusions to actual combat scenarios... So he is a sneaky lucky man who just missed becoming the next Golden Bamboo laughing stock. Any way that story I watched with my own eyes is totally different to the last 'How Kan met Max' story. There is no way out of it. He and Kan are Liars. But, they may still be good teachers, even Great. Just a bit challenged on the integrity Level.

I fit in rather strangely with this group, as politically I am an Anarchist, But I believe that Democracy {in the real sense} is a crucial stepping stone to creating an Anarchist society. I also fully support Taxation, as our contribution to society but believe most current models are broken, as the Mega rich get taxed the least in many cases. I hear Joeblasts comments, and I want to ask him if he has heard of Sweden? Taxation there is about 80% or massively high, I only hear these things from our regular Swedish Backpackers, but they say the place is just great. Free dental, medical, Education, sport centres, child care, bathing and Sauna centres... And somehow with their semi socialised democracy, they come out as one of the most economically competitive country's in the world... And cross that with ranking high on the Happiest country's in the world poll. America doesn't even make it to the top 10, so why does Joe and others like him think it is so great? Its called Brain washing. All their lives they have been told about the American Dream and how great it is, they see the red white and blue waving in the wind with moving patriotic Trumpet sounds in the back ground, and 'ahh we are the best country in the world...' We Invade and murder millions for their resources, and "Ahh we are the best country in the World" The divide between rich and poor is getting huger and huger but "Ahh we are the best country in the World" Millions of homeless everywhere... "Ahh we are the best country in the World" Biggest debt in the world, but "Ahh we are the best country in the World" Have more black men in prison than the population of Australia's biggest city and "Ahh we are the best country in the World" The highest Murder rate, but "Ahh we are the best country in the World" Our own citizens are dying everywhere because they can't afford medical help but "Ahh we are the best country in the World" Fattest kids and general population anywhere but "Ahh we are the best country in the World" nearly half the population are Christian nut Bars, but "Ahh we are the best country in the World" Prisons for profit successfully lobby for a 3 strikes and your out [permanently Imprisoned] law in a country thats {generally} proud of abolishing slavery, and "Ahh we are the best country in the World" The religious Nuts in power send masses of money to Israel, to make sure that Israel fulfils biblical prophecy, but "Ahh we are the best country in the World" Most of its citizens are so heartless that they support people dying from lack of proper medical care just so they don't end up out of pocket and "Ahh we are the best country in the World" The list could go on but you get the picture... America is the greatest F@#!ing Country in the World! Now pass the cool aid, and we are going to make the rest of you drink it with us! {plays American Anthem} So seeing all this, and considering the general state of public Brainwashing, then protesters at wall street are always just stupid middle class know nothings [all of them all the time], socialism is 'always' evil and a stepping stone to 'shudder' Communism, which is the massive enemy patterning Brainwashing key here... and Nothing is better than Americanism, ever, in any way whatsoever, all the time...

lol Yes my Mum is as well. That's why protests need to be long, loud and ever Increasing in size. Often people dont really think much about foreign policy, nor about how horrendous it makes things for Others. Its not till it starts getting put in peoples faces, that many will start to think about it. Also, outrage is a fairly socially unacceptable emotion, usually met with "relax a bit, your being a little extreme aren't you?" kind of response. People feel uncomfortable with the feeling of outrage, so don't express it, and in many cases do not even realise how outraged they really feel about so many Issues. Public demonstrations and protests can give people the 'permission' they need to feel this emotion. Sometimes seeing a blatant example is all someone needs to start being passionate again. This is the positive side of 'mob mentality' where it helps wake dormant or supressed feelings, that get channelled constructively... That is also why Non violence is so Important in a protest. If people see blatent expressions of Violent fury and aggression towards the state, it can serve to awaken all the repressed violence and hostility that then gets channelled in meaningless destruction. Look at all the psychological cases with people who got 'swept up' in violent riots. They describe not knowing where the feelings came from, that they were not really that kind of person, but suddenly all they could experience was vengeful fury at ________, and the joy of throwing a Molotov at a line of Cops or whoever... That's when a seriously repressed part of someone, is suddenly given permission by seeing it happen all around them, and can then suddenly overcome the shallow veneer of social acceptability, which usually means overriding a persons whole personality. Bad news.

I Love you Serene! You dig up the best stuff!

Nice back peddle, so now you say Gandhi is an activist... I will have to double check that, but without total certainty, i believe that to be incorrect. Gandhi had many speeches he gave to help calm enraged crowds after protesters had been killed, and I was under the impression the allegorical connection to Jesus was deliberately evoked to describe a young man who had given his life for his country in one such protest. I don't think we have time to hope that each little change from each little good deed will eventually make something good. To me this is apathetic and cowardly, but hey, each to their own... Lots have done the change yourself thing, and no true revolution has been seen anywhere. Gandhi's people did what the Wall street occupiers are doing. Peacefully gathering in mass, and making some noise. If that frightens you or disturbs your 'calm' so be it.

Again, this is misinformation and absolute rubbish. Gandhi was behind peaceful protest, and backed a movement so huge, that Great Brittan was eventually forced by public opinion in India and back home to leave... giving up an empire that made them a fortune. Astonishing. Read his Biography, even watch the movie. An amazing man. Educate yourself before you prescribe theory's to someone that are completely Irrelevant.

lol I think you entirely missed my point. Gandhi created protests with lots of shouting that were Non Violent. I am not advocating Violence in any form at all, but peaceful protests draw attention, and cause people to start asking what everyone is protesting about. Protesting creates change slowly on a mass level. Gandhi encapsulated this with his "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." He directly advocated Non Violent protest as the best way to create change. You can not use Gandhi as an example of your stance. He was straight up anti your perspective. Again here he addressed the death of one of his protesters: A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act. That man was beaten to death in a peaceful protest against British occupation. Every salvo' shop on the corner feeds a few people's mouths, and they have been going for decades. No real change has come about. Many people live really dodgy greedy lives, then donate to charity, and then pat themselves on the back about how good they are. In this way, charity is part of the problem. It is putting a band aid on the surface of a deep deep wound, and letting people sit back and think they are good when really they are not. what is needed is to change the system so that charity is not needed in the first place, and that will not happen by your methods, but by Gandhi's methods. Non Violent Protest. It has to reach a mass so huge, that the powers that be start to seriously consider the Demands. Again If you are happy to look your grandkids in the eye, and weakly tell them that you 'did nothing' because it was not spiritual, as you hand them a destroyed world, feel free. Sit back. Make little gestures that no one sees like not buying Coke, but beware of just doing those things as a way to feel better about your 'inaction'. Seth.

Here are some Gandhi quotes: First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. One needs to be slow to form convictions, but once formed they must be defended against the heaviest odds. A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble. A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act. A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history. All compromise is based on give and take, but there can be no give and take on fundamentals. Any compromise on mere fundamentals is a surrender. For it is all give and no take. In a gentle way, you can shake the world. It is any day better to stand erect with a broken and bandaged head then to crawl on one's belly, in order to be able to save one's head. Let us all be brave enough to die the death of a martyr, but let no one lust for martyrdom. Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. There are Tons more, from this Brave activist who changed a Nation. Seth.

Its a nice sentiment, but I have to disagree in part. First off, the part I agree with is that change begins within, and I like how you expressed Inaction to do with ceasing activities that support dodgyness, like buying Coke, because they pay death squads to kill off union members in their coke farms... But... You mention Gandhi. Gandhi organised massive sit downs, peaceful protests, and shouting of the peoples demands. That is how he brought change to India. Every revolution requires action, and had action. End of story. If the people don't mass, they get ignored. I believe it is very dangerous at this precarious time on earth, to tell people "Don't protest, it is not spiritual!" "Inaction is the way!" My counter, is that that is not really Inaction, but rather apathy. Inaction [how I understand it] includes action. My example would be the soft martial arts, that have Inaction as a core philosophy. They meet force, then yeild, and as the opponent gets sucked into his own trajectory they strike or push with their own force. When executed well the results are devastating. That is inaction at work. The Martial artist does not shy away from conflict, and stands her ground. She uses direct force not all the time, but at the right moment to be most effective. Protesting can Indeed be like this. No fear of conflict, yeilding to the cops, then surging back from another angle... Never really leaving the spot light. Standing for what is right at a very very crucial time. The other option is handing you grandchildren their ruined world, and telling them you 'did nothing because it wasn't spiritual'

Dig up every Instance of corrupt Businessmen/Politician collaboration with vested interests, and demand Criminal Trial no matter who it is {Bush}, demand total accountability! War Crimes charges for any politician who has entered a war on false pretexts [weapons of mass destruction] or has been obviously massively supported by, or owns shares in any company that profits from War. So far they are all just getting away with it, with zero accountability. The public has to furiously demand legal Inquiry into these cases, till it gets done, and when inevitability it starts to happen but then prosecutors are cutting deals for cooperation or evidence is going missing, there needs to be even greater outrage and demand for retrials... The Politicians need to start feeling shit scared to even slightly step out of line, because remember they are here to serve us, not to expand their bank accounts as they currently think. Also there needs to be a massive push to ban corporate backing of politicians in any way whatsoever, Including a total ban on any politician owning shares in big business. That would be a step in the right direction.

Ahh I have Buddhahood without Meditation on my shelf but i decided not to read it till I have a much stronger foundation in practice and in knowledge of exactly what each term is meaning when it is used... and White Sail I have heard really good things about, but i am trying to remember from whom... what area of Buddhism does it cover SAMANTABHADRA?

ahh yes,I was also very moved when I first found those What Buddhist Book do you [and everyone else] find really valuable?

Jaysahnztao, very very cool and great Inspiration. Thanks for the share and great Blessings on your path Seth Ananda

No one seems to have mentioned Mercurious by Patrik Harpur, thats a great read about the western Alchemical approach... Also An Illuminatus Trilogy, which note is different to The Illuminatus Trilogy. I think of at least the first two as being RAW's finest fiction...

Very Interesting CowTao, How much would you say this helps your practice? And do you maintain this when doing lots of prostrations? One of my old friends is a Sufi/Silat teacher. He only eats one meal a day, no meals tue and fri {if I remember right} and only sleeps 2 hours a night. His main practice is Zhikir, and evening meditation, and he works very hard in the day land scaping, then gets home and teaches Silat classes every week night, and Silat classes all day saturdays. He has been doing this Insane schedule for the last 20 years or so, but he said it did take him a while to build up to it...

Every couple of weeks these days there seems to be another prophecy out about some comet or blue planet, or natural disaster... I personally can not wait for 2012 to come and go, as {in my delusionarilly optimistic world} then all this prophecy hype will die down and we wont have to hear about it till someone fabricates a new disaster/end time scenario. I really wish everyone who makes these claims that 'something' will happen were held accountable when it doesn't happen. At the very least we should be able to line them all up and then get to point at them, shouting "HA HA HA YOU were WRONG!" and then get to ask them questions like, 'well if you were wrong about this, what about all your other New age beliefs?' But on a more serious note, we are living In an apocalypse culture. These are very uncertain times on many fronts, and many of us more sensitive types, 'feel' that something 'needs' to happen to ensure our survival as a species, and feel that the track we are on can not continue and must change some how. That's valid, and is a real source of anxiety for many many people. Then when you add that to the sense of powerlessness many of us feel to really make a change to the society we live in, to halt it in its tracks and give it a new direction, then you get even higher existential stress. People need a way to deal with this constant underlying stress. It needs 'release' even if it is only a projected future potential for release, like believing in 2012, return of Christ/aliens/5th dimensional saviours, some global shift into higher consciousness or some disaster that allows us to start again and rebuild in a new way... Any 'something is going to happen' scenario can serve to release a bit of the pressure. To me this is sad. But hopefully when 2012 has come and gone, we can realise we are in this soup we created, and only our fine selves can get us out of it. Then hopefully we can stop waiting for energy shifts, aliens, mayan dates and so on, that we have been relying on to save us, or to fix things for us. Then maybe we will really start to Act, and hopefully it wont already be too late. Peace to all beings. Seth.

heheh, your not, It is just that I spent hours on just one of the links you provided: [Here's one guy's answers to modern Libertarians.] There is so much in your posts to peruse... awesome, and thanks by the way...

Thanks Adam, great Link!

I use it regularly as my Shamatha focus. I agree that it is not for Heat, but for Enlightenment... but it does create heat, and heat is one of the ways it is tested... There is a reason it has been so popular amongst Hermits in the Himalayas, and that is because it it very cold up there... Successful Tummo practice will have you warm and toasty, despite the weather. When I have engaged in the practice extensively, I have been able to sit warm and toasty, bare foot in shorts and a t-shirt in hail storms and rain when it has been very cold and windy for hours or more. I like the books CowTao mentioned, but also like the chapter In 'How to meditate' by Kathleen McDonald who is a respected western Gelugpa Nun. I originally learned the practice from an ex-Nyingma monk who had done a two year tummo retreat in Nepal.

Yes, and I believe that a very large part of this is because so many are waiting for all these magical Fixes. I have had Christians tell me that nothing matters as Jesus is just around the corner. I have heard Newagers say Global warming is just a planetary cycle {only} and that the Ascension is coming with the Photon Belt, and we will be all swept up into the light/5th dimension.... Some scientifically minded are still waiting for a Tech Utopia to sweep all the problems under the rug. All these seem to me to be deadly Beliefs at this time on earth. It creates a mental fog that doesn't allow one to see reality as it is... How many people just 'Trust' that the Divine will work something out, Instead of actually doing something?

Well the question I have then, is are you waiting for 'time' itself to just fix everything up? Hopefully not...