Apech

The Queen makes her 2020 Christmas speech:

spoonerism

tea bags

Meanwhile in the rest of the world this is it:

Hi, Nothing was written until the first century BC - and the Buddha died about 400 BC (dates vary). Buddha probably spoke a Prakrit which is a language variant of Sanskrit - most probably Magadha B which is one variant ... and probably close to Pali. Sanskrit in the classical form was the language of the Vedas used in Brahminic ceremony. The Buddha discourage the use of Sanskrit in his time - I think because of this special status it had and he didn't want his teachings to be confused with Vedic teachings. The earliest Mahayana sutras were written down about the same time as the Pali Canon (1st century BC) but were very much a minority interest until later when the Mahayana became more popular in the North. The Buddha did want his monks to study - to listen, contemplate and meditate - he wanted them to study the 4 Noble Truth and Dependent origination for instance. Did the Buddha actually utter the Lotus Sutra and so on? Probably not ... but as you say provided the teachings are correct it doesn't really matter.

Luckily he had total recall!

Shakyamuni Buddha didn't write anything - he lived in a pre-literate society. Everything is based on an oral tradition prior to about 300 BC.

Follow what you feel connected to - from this you will get maximum benefit. I don't know who Bill Bodri is but things to consider are that Theravada does not equal Hinayana - what the old Mahayana texts criticise as 'lesser vehicle' does not actually exist any more , it died out. Human beings love to divide things into rival schools - but this is mostly egotism - consider what happens in martial arts when the founder of a system or school dies - it divides into a number of schools/Styles who all claim to be the genuine article. Humans are hierarchical creatures there's no escaping it. Just treat these things as mildly interesting and follow your heart.

For what it's worth my researches into this subject left me with certain conclusions - it was a while ago so I can't reference them here but: 1 ) The earliest Mahayana sutras were more or less contemporaneous with the Pali Canon. 2 ) The mahayana style practice already existed as a minority practice alongside 'hinayana' in sanghas - it wasn't the product of a schism it was just a slightly eccentric style which grew into prominence in later times until pure hinayana schools ceased to exist in the northern areas. 3 ) Similarly the emphasis of emptiness over non-self is something to do with this style of practice which was more 'devotional' and perhaps more based on meditational experience than say 'listening to the word' (hence the term shravaka). 4 ) all schools like to claim privilege and uniqueness but most of the differences arise from geographical dispersion and the growth of differently emphasised styles - and/or different sets of vinaya rules for monks.

"grammer spelling and punctuation" - good one, a classic in fact.

Just to get back on topic - I was thinking about a couple of points: 1 ) I'm not saying anyone suggested this in this way, but if you encounter 'stuff' and say it's just mind etc. you have to remember that 'mind' is vast as the sky and contains all possible modes of expression and being. So it's not like saying it's all in the mind i.e. imagination - unless by imagination you mean the Mind's capacity to produce images. So even if you accept this it can be advantageous or necessary to take certain steps. 2 ) I think when you practice and accumulate some level of 'energy' or 'merit' then you will attract things that formerly left you alone - and if you get some siddhis start to perceive them. I think it's important to cultivate the view that the universe (of Mind) is infinite and mysterious and that one should not approach it casually or in a sloppy way. You can go through stages where you become a psychic sponge. This is quite good in the long run and I'm not suggesting mild paranoia as a way of life - but more care and respect in that you are dealing with something very powerful and life changing. Your emotions come into play in a way that perhaps formerly they weren't and so on.

I accept Paypal etc. no problem. I need the money for shopping. I deserve it cos I'm white cat.

You can send me money if you like.

Sweden - daily deaths from Covid .... does this look like panic stations? ... or a second wave which is smaller than the first and has already peaked? Here is Portugal - similar size country about 10m for comparison - daily deaths:

This is definitely true - like the proverbial onion ... but sometimes its not that linear as you can jump around - but generally earlier and earlier.

Hi, This won't answer your question - but but the idea that there are malevolent forces, entities and so on is pretty much universal in all cultures apart from modern western ones. A few years ago I met a muslim lady from Sri Lanka who said she regularly sent back to the old country (we were in the UK then) for a sheep or goat to be sacrificed to ward off evil spirits and the evil eye. I was gobsmacked 'cos I assumed that Islam didn't allow this kind of thing. When I moved to rural Portugal I found that in the village there was an old lady (she's over 100 now) who knew about herbs and did charms against the evil eye - which they call 'cobrante' = 'snake magic' - which is bad effects emanating from other people, some animals like snakes and lizards and so on which can make you ill. Even in the Tibetan Buddhism which I practice - they make offerings (usually a kind of cake) and do ceremonies to appease hungry ghosts and demons of various kinds - the idea being if you offer up food etc. they will be satisfied and leave you alone. The great tantric masters like Milarepa and so on regularly dealt with god-like beings and demons who opposed them - this was not meant 'symbolically' but as a real thing. So I would predict that in whatever system you do this sort of thing will exist and if you ask around you'll get techniques for it - provided the teachers are not westerners - who either deny or get embarrassed by the subject

May the force be with you.

When the battle is over I suspect a review of this thing will show that some countries have already been exposed to either this virus or SARS or another coronavirus crossover which gives natural immunity.

Beware of anti-Sweden propaganda - check graphs of new cases and deaths: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/sweden/

stand and kneel

dirty dance

No it's not

OMG!