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Hōkai Sobol | māntrin, pathfinder hokai.eu
Coda: Hārītī often holds a pomegranate (as above), the "apple" that Adam and Eve eat in the Garden of Eden. Pics: Persephone tempted by Hades, and Mary with child, both featuring pomegranate.
June 20, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Coda: Hārītī often holds a pomegranate (as above), the "apple" that Adam and Eve eat in the Garden of Eden. Pics: Persephone tempted by Hades, and Mary with child, both featuring pomegranate.
Hārītī, former demon child kidnapper and cannibal witch, who converted to protect children and discipline bad parents, becoming goddess of fertility across Buddhist schools. Strong Greek and Scythian connection.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hariti
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hariti
June 20, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Hārītī, former demon child kidnapper and cannibal witch, who converted to protect children and discipline bad parents, becoming goddess of fertility across Buddhist schools. Strong Greek and Scythian connection.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hariti
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hariti
Vajrayāna has dozens of major and hundreds of minor mudrā, many secret. Ofc, every gesture imaginable has a sacred or secular meaning. Whether blessing or curse, prayer or profanity, it's emptiness to form and out into space. A sign, a seal. Check the etymology of "behave." /
June 20, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Vajrayāna has dozens of major and hundreds of minor mudrā, many secret. Ofc, every gesture imaginable has a sacred or secular meaning. Whether blessing or curse, prayer or profanity, it's emptiness to form and out into space. A sign, a seal. Check the etymology of "behave." /
Similarly with holding thumbs. It's superstition, or symbolism at best. It cannot possibly be a somatic way of shaping energy and recollecting one's mind without thinking or forcing attention.
June 20, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Similarly with holding thumbs. It's superstition, or symbolism at best. It cannot possibly be a somatic way of shaping energy and recollecting one's mind without thinking or forcing attention.
Fingers crossed is a basic hand mudrā. All-knowing Intelligence says "The gesture has historical roots in superstition, with origins in early Christianity where it was used to invoke the protection of the Holy Cross." Roots = origins, thus superstition = early Christianity.
June 20, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Fingers crossed is a basic hand mudrā. All-knowing Intelligence says "The gesture has historical roots in superstition, with origins in early Christianity where it was used to invoke the protection of the Holy Cross." Roots = origins, thus superstition = early Christianity.
> Also, consistently desacralized & psychologized: samadhi, insight, vows & oaths, compassion, mandala, mind (!), body (!), emptiness, awe & wonder, purification, bliss, grace, consecration, sacred beings, mystical birth & death & rebirth... the list goes on. /end
June 20, 2025 at 1:20 PM
> Also, consistently desacralized & psychologized: samadhi, insight, vows & oaths, compassion, mandala, mind (!), body (!), emptiness, awe & wonder, purification, bliss, grace, consecration, sacred beings, mystical birth & death & rebirth... the list goes on. /end
> Plus a few intense qualities arising in practice but regularly underplayed like faith, devotion, reliance, enthusiasm, fervour, ardour, heightened sensory awareness, visions (too many skt to list)...
Mostly cuz trying too hard to not sound like a religion. Or mystical path.
Mostly cuz trying too hard to not sound like a religion. Or mystical path.
June 20, 2025 at 1:19 PM
> Plus a few intense qualities arising in practice but regularly underplayed like faith, devotion, reliance, enthusiasm, fervour, ardour, heightened sensory awareness, visions (too many skt to list)...
Mostly cuz trying too hard to not sound like a religion. Or mystical path.
Mostly cuz trying too hard to not sound like a religion. Or mystical path.
Aspects of Buddhist ethos / pathos / logos poorly conveyed:
1. power, capacity
(śakti, bala, indriya, vīrya, vibhūti, sāmarthya etc)
2. sorcery, magic
(ābhicārika, kṛtyā, śambara, ṛddhi, siddha, kārmaṇa etc)
3. peace, ataraxy
(śānti, śama, sama, kṣema, abhaya, nirbhaya etc) >
1. power, capacity
(śakti, bala, indriya, vīrya, vibhūti, sāmarthya etc)
2. sorcery, magic
(ābhicārika, kṛtyā, śambara, ṛddhi, siddha, kārmaṇa etc)
3. peace, ataraxy
(śānti, śama, sama, kṣema, abhaya, nirbhaya etc) >
June 20, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Aspects of Buddhist ethos / pathos / logos poorly conveyed:
1. power, capacity
(śakti, bala, indriya, vīrya, vibhūti, sāmarthya etc)
2. sorcery, magic
(ābhicārika, kṛtyā, śambara, ṛddhi, siddha, kārmaṇa etc)
3. peace, ataraxy
(śānti, śama, sama, kṣema, abhaya, nirbhaya etc) >
1. power, capacity
(śakti, bala, indriya, vīrya, vibhūti, sāmarthya etc)
2. sorcery, magic
(ābhicārika, kṛtyā, śambara, ṛddhi, siddha, kārmaṇa etc)
3. peace, ataraxy
(śānti, śama, sama, kṣema, abhaya, nirbhaya etc) >
Mahāvairocana (Great Sun), the original dharmakāya of early Guhya Mantra (Vajrayāna).
As five elements:
Oṃ a vi ra hūṃ khaṃ
As awareness:
Oṃ vajradhātu vaṃ
As dynamic union of awareness and experience:
Oṃ amogha vairocana mahāmudrā maṇipadma jvala pravartāya hūṃ
As five elements:
Oṃ a vi ra hūṃ khaṃ
As awareness:
Oṃ vajradhātu vaṃ
As dynamic union of awareness and experience:
Oṃ amogha vairocana mahāmudrā maṇipadma jvala pravartāya hūṃ
June 17, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Mahāvairocana (Great Sun), the original dharmakāya of early Guhya Mantra (Vajrayāna).
As five elements:
Oṃ a vi ra hūṃ khaṃ
As awareness:
Oṃ vajradhātu vaṃ
As dynamic union of awareness and experience:
Oṃ amogha vairocana mahāmudrā maṇipadma jvala pravartāya hūṃ
As five elements:
Oṃ a vi ra hūṃ khaṃ
As awareness:
Oṃ vajradhātu vaṃ
As dynamic union of awareness and experience:
Oṃ amogha vairocana mahāmudrā maṇipadma jvala pravartāya hūṃ
Maitreya Buddha in samādhi, holding five elements stūpa.
June 9, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Maitreya Buddha in samādhi, holding five elements stūpa.
You can overtrain. And we know what it does, most of it not good. Can you overmeditate? Easily. How much is too much? It depends where u're at and what u're aiming at, but it is almost certainly less than u imagine. Of course, u must do it well. Well enough. And maintain balance.
June 7, 2025 at 11:45 PM
You can overtrain. And we know what it does, most of it not good. Can you overmeditate? Easily. How much is too much? It depends where u're at and what u're aiming at, but it is almost certainly less than u imagine. Of course, u must do it well. Well enough. And maintain balance.
Round and round. Lost and found. Revolving or going around the sacred is a key practice in many spiritual traditions East and West. In Sanskrit, parikrama (path around) or pradakṣiṇā (to the right, clockwise), means walking around sanctum sanctorum: holy relics (śarīra) >
June 3, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Round and round. Lost and found. Revolving or going around the sacred is a key practice in many spiritual traditions East and West. In Sanskrit, parikrama (path around) or pradakṣiṇā (to the right, clockwise), means walking around sanctum sanctorum: holy relics (śarīra) >
Kindness is a ¹basic warmth in bringing attention to experience, a ²gate to intimate knowing, a ³way of being in the world, a ⁴natural expression of presence, a ⁵mystery. /end
May 31, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Kindness is a ¹basic warmth in bringing attention to experience, a ²gate to intimate knowing, a ³way of being in the world, a ⁴natural expression of presence, a ⁵mystery. /end
There are 3 forms of kindness: generosity, kind speech (or a smiling face), and fearlessness. They come in 3 flavors: what is received, what is given, the way things are. They bring 3 rewards: true friends, true heart and mind, true fortune.
May 29, 2025 at 7:17 PM
There are 3 forms of kindness: generosity, kind speech (or a smiling face), and fearlessness. They come in 3 flavors: what is received, what is given, the way things are. They bring 3 rewards: true friends, true heart and mind, true fortune.
A tiny little bit of genuine kindness goes a very long way. And it doesn't matter one iota where one's at. A little bit more – and it's a different world altogether.
May 29, 2025 at 1:51 PM
A tiny little bit of genuine kindness goes a very long way. And it doesn't matter one iota where one's at. A little bit more – and it's a different world altogether.
Any demystifying by blinding oneself to mistery is bound to fail. Mistery is always at the core of every meaningful pursuit. Every aspect, every level, every mode. Learn to embrace and appreciate mystery.
May 25, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Any demystifying by blinding oneself to mistery is bound to fail. Mistery is always at the core of every meaningful pursuit. Every aspect, every level, every mode. Learn to embrace and appreciate mystery.
Most of "mindful" now is humans trying to somewhat compensate for making many aspects of ourselves obsolete – ie physical emotional spiritual social atrophy – thru seeking safety comfort convenience. Same tracks, same drive behind both.
May 25, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Most of "mindful" now is humans trying to somewhat compensate for making many aspects of ourselves obsolete – ie physical emotional spiritual social atrophy – thru seeking safety comfort convenience. Same tracks, same drive behind both.
What is intimacy? A deepening movement from knowing about
to
knowing thru experience
to
knowing thru being known
to
empty knowing
to
natural direct knowing.
Each step opens possible cycles for each previous step. While it feels like emergence, it's a genuine descent.
to
knowing thru experience
to
knowing thru being known
to
empty knowing
to
natural direct knowing.
Each step opens possible cycles for each previous step. While it feels like emergence, it's a genuine descent.
May 24, 2025 at 5:38 AM
What is intimacy? A deepening movement from knowing about
to
knowing thru experience
to
knowing thru being known
to
empty knowing
to
natural direct knowing.
Each step opens possible cycles for each previous step. While it feels like emergence, it's a genuine descent.
to
knowing thru experience
to
knowing thru being known
to
empty knowing
to
natural direct knowing.
Each step opens possible cycles for each previous step. While it feels like emergence, it's a genuine descent.
Flanking bodhisattvas in a triad can be seen as complementary methods to awakening found in center, or as metaphor of balance implicit in such awakening.
May 24, 2025 at 5:38 AM
Flanking bodhisattvas in a triad can be seen as complementary methods to awakening found in center, or as metaphor of balance implicit in such awakening.
Medicine Buddha (skt. Bhaiṣajyaguru, jap. Yakushi, tib. Menla) statue in Japan, flanked by Moonlight and Sunlight. Some years ago I've put together a simple Medicine Buddha ritual practice. Still available for download here
hokai.eu/medicine-buddh…
hokai.eu/medicine-buddh…
May 24, 2025 at 5:37 AM
Medicine Buddha (skt. Bhaiṣajyaguru, jap. Yakushi, tib. Menla) statue in Japan, flanked by Moonlight and Sunlight. Some years ago I've put together a simple Medicine Buddha ritual practice. Still available for download here
hokai.eu/medicine-buddh…
hokai.eu/medicine-buddh…
Full icon 1. Sword, prajna-scripture, five top knots, script reads "a ra pa cha na" 2. Riding lion of buddha-roar, right arm and leg cutting samādhi (self), left arm and leg spreading prajñā (others).
May 22, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Full icon 1. Sword, prajna-scripture, five top knots, script reads "a ra pa cha na" 2. Riding lion of buddha-roar, right arm and leg cutting samādhi (self), left arm and leg spreading prajñā (others).
Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī embodies insight & discerning wisdom ie intimacy with empty knowing. Mañju means beautiful, sweet, while Śrī is a honorific, meaning glorious. Other names Mañjughoṣa (Lovely Voice) & Vāgīśvara (Lord of Speech), shown as either youth prince or old hermit.
May 22, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī embodies insight & discerning wisdom ie intimacy with empty knowing. Mañju means beautiful, sweet, while Śrī is a honorific, meaning glorious. Other names Mañjughoṣa (Lovely Voice) & Vāgīśvara (Lord of Speech), shown as either youth prince or old hermit.
Whether learning attention, skills, concepts, or ways of being, inner or outer or liminal... whatever learning is about, from, of, towards etc. it has five implicit domains.
- learning environment
- unlearning
- how to learn
- how to know
- pointing beyond the learnt
- learning environment
- unlearning
- how to learn
- how to know
- pointing beyond the learnt
May 22, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Whether learning attention, skills, concepts, or ways of being, inner or outer or liminal... whatever learning is about, from, of, towards etc. it has five implicit domains.
- learning environment
- unlearning
- how to learn
- how to know
- pointing beyond the learnt
- learning environment
- unlearning
- how to learn
- how to know
- pointing beyond the learnt
Knowing history is laudable. Not repeating past errors, remarkable. This isn't about that. It's about what one becomes. Knowing itself. So...
Hindsight is lazy wisdom. Always right. A would-be should've. Judging the dead. Someone said, "Let the dead bury the dead."
Look. Act.
Hindsight is lazy wisdom. Always right. A would-be should've. Judging the dead. Someone said, "Let the dead bury the dead."
Look. Act.
May 18, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Knowing history is laudable. Not repeating past errors, remarkable. This isn't about that. It's about what one becomes. Knowing itself. So...
Hindsight is lazy wisdom. Always right. A would-be should've. Judging the dead. Someone said, "Let the dead bury the dead."
Look. Act.
Hindsight is lazy wisdom. Always right. A would-be should've. Judging the dead. Someone said, "Let the dead bury the dead."
Look. Act.
Create a void. Then fall into it.
May 17, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Create a void. Then fall into it.