Brother K
@konchognorbu.bsky.social
Buddhist monk since 1993. Copyeditor at 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Low-intensity birder. 96.37% vegan.
https://84000.co/
https://84000.co/
“[Bodhisattvas] themselves abstain from killing, encourage others to abstain from killing, praise abstention from killing, and when others abstain from killing give them praise and approval."
~The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines~
~The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines~
November 14, 2025 at 3:46 PM
“[Bodhisattvas] themselves abstain from killing, encourage others to abstain from killing, praise abstention from killing, and when others abstain from killing give them praise and approval."
~The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines~
~The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines~
Now there's a cover I've never seen: Terry Riley's "Shri Camel" with -- Avalokiteshvara? -- on the keys.
Listening now...
Listening now...
November 13, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Now there's a cover I've never seen: Terry Riley's "Shri Camel" with -- Avalokiteshvara? -- on the keys.
Listening now...
Listening now...
In the perfection of wisdom sutras, great bodhisattvas teach the gods about the faults of taking refuge in conditioned phenomena after burning their celestial palaces to the ground. I'm not saying we should *all* take inspiration from this, but...
November 12, 2025 at 5:02 PM
In the perfection of wisdom sutras, great bodhisattvas teach the gods about the faults of taking refuge in conditioned phenomena after burning their celestial palaces to the ground. I'm not saying we should *all* take inspiration from this, but...
The completed statues at Sravasti Abbey's new Buddha Hall—Buddha Shakyamuni flanked by Ananda and Mahaprajapati—look really marvelous, don't they?
You can see pix of how they came to life here: www.facebook.com/media/set?va...
You can see pix of how they came to life here: www.facebook.com/media/set?va...
October 24, 2025 at 2:27 PM
The completed statues at Sravasti Abbey's new Buddha Hall—Buddha Shakyamuni flanked by Ananda and Mahaprajapati—look really marvelous, don't they?
You can see pix of how they came to life here: www.facebook.com/media/set?va...
You can see pix of how they came to life here: www.facebook.com/media/set?va...
Bizarre meditating monkey in front of The Skillet restaurant in Las Vegas, NM. Owner is apparently the artist. Food was exceptionally good.
October 4, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Bizarre meditating monkey in front of The Skillet restaurant in Las Vegas, NM. Owner is apparently the artist. Food was exceptionally good.
Occasionally Crestone really serves up the phenomena. Taken a couple weeks ago over the chapel at Miyo Samten Ling, Alan Wallace's center for contemplative practice.
September 23, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Occasionally Crestone really serves up the phenomena. Taken a couple weeks ago over the chapel at Miyo Samten Ling, Alan Wallace's center for contemplative practice.
“Sister, what compels a bodhisattva to set out toward unexcelled and perfect awakening?”
“Mañjuśrī, bodhisattvas don the armor geared toward awakening to deliver beings to nirvāṇa."
“Mañjuśrī, bodhisattvas don the armor geared toward awakening to deliver beings to nirvāṇa."
September 18, 2025 at 2:08 AM
“Sister, what compels a bodhisattva to set out toward unexcelled and perfect awakening?”
“Mañjuśrī, bodhisattvas don the armor geared toward awakening to deliver beings to nirvāṇa."
“Mañjuśrī, bodhisattvas don the armor geared toward awakening to deliver beings to nirvāṇa."
"Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings think, ‘From the time when I first begin to set my mind on enlightenment until I am seated at the site of enlightenment, I shall indeed abstain from killing living creatures, and I shall encourage others to keep abstaining from killing living creatures...
September 11, 2025 at 11:40 AM
"Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings think, ‘From the time when I first begin to set my mind on enlightenment until I am seated at the site of enlightenment, I shall indeed abstain from killing living creatures, and I shall encourage others to keep abstaining from killing living creatures...
There were two therapists in our quartet, so the assumption is they led us to the Padmasambhava Stupa so that we might encounter our shadow selves.
September 10, 2025 at 1:31 PM
There were two therapists in our quartet, so the assumption is they led us to the Padmasambhava Stupa so that we might encounter our shadow selves.
Occasionally, the tantras present images of startling beauty:
"The moment he begins [to recite], his tongue will become as soft as a lotus petal and his mouth will smell of blue water lilies."
"The moment he begins [to recite], his tongue will become as soft as a lotus petal and his mouth will smell of blue water lilies."
September 9, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Occasionally, the tantras present images of startling beauty:
"The moment he begins [to recite], his tongue will become as soft as a lotus petal and his mouth will smell of blue water lilies."
"The moment he begins [to recite], his tongue will become as soft as a lotus petal and his mouth will smell of blue water lilies."
Famous verse on the editing screen, from "The Ten Qualities" sūtra:
“Good qualities will not develop
For people without faith,
Just as sprouts will not grow
From seeds scorched by fire."
“Good qualities will not develop
For people without faith,
Just as sprouts will not grow
From seeds scorched by fire."
August 6, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Famous verse on the editing screen, from "The Ten Qualities" sūtra:
“Good qualities will not develop
For people without faith,
Just as sprouts will not grow
From seeds scorched by fire."
“Good qualities will not develop
For people without faith,
Just as sprouts will not grow
From seeds scorched by fire."
Padmasambhava Stupa looking gorgeous with a second coat of snowy stucco.
August 6, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Padmasambhava Stupa looking gorgeous with a second coat of snowy stucco.
Fresh white stucco applied to the Padmasambhava Stupa in Crestone, CO, on Chökhor Duchen. Next step is a darker shade of stucco on the base, then new gold leaf on the gau and spire.
July 29, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Fresh white stucco applied to the Padmasambhava Stupa in Crestone, CO, on Chökhor Duchen. Next step is a darker shade of stucco on the base, then new gold leaf on the gau and spire.
Only at a Crestone bake sale. See if you can spot it. 😄
July 25, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Only at a Crestone bake sale. See if you can spot it. 😄
Happiest of rebirthdays to Ven. Pema Chodron.
July 14, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Happiest of rebirthdays to Ven. Pema Chodron.
My mother loved the Dalai Lama and saw him many times. This alone assures me of her eventual liberation. She clipped this image and had it tacked to her wall for years.
May his intention to live for decades to come be realized, and may all with a connection to him be freed from every suffering.
May his intention to live for decades to come be realized, and may all with a connection to him be freed from every suffering.
July 6, 2025 at 1:57 PM
My mother loved the Dalai Lama and saw him many times. This alone assures me of her eventual liberation. She clipped this image and had it tacked to her wall for years.
May his intention to live for decades to come be realized, and may all with a connection to him be freed from every suffering.
May his intention to live for decades to come be realized, and may all with a connection to him be freed from every suffering.
Did you do something good for another today?
June 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Did you do something good for another today?
“May those beings who are frequently hostile and vengeful toward each other and go to war with each other...become compassionate, gentle, forgiving, and skillful when they remember my orange Dharma robes."
An aspiration of the bodhisattva Mahākāruṇika, who would become the Buddha in a future life.
An aspiration of the bodhisattva Mahākāruṇika, who would become the Buddha in a future life.
June 22, 2025 at 8:44 PM
“May those beings who are frequently hostile and vengeful toward each other and go to war with each other...become compassionate, gentle, forgiving, and skillful when they remember my orange Dharma robes."
An aspiration of the bodhisattva Mahākāruṇika, who would become the Buddha in a future life.
An aspiration of the bodhisattva Mahākāruṇika, who would become the Buddha in a future life.
"May I bring beings to the six perfections and bring to an end everywhere the darkness of famine, conflict, impurity, war, enmity, argument, and dispute."
The White Lotus of Compassion, 4.275.
The White Lotus of Compassion, 4.275.
June 22, 2025 at 3:31 AM
"May I bring beings to the six perfections and bring to an end everywhere the darkness of famine, conflict, impurity, war, enmity, argument, and dispute."
The White Lotus of Compassion, 4.275.
The White Lotus of Compassion, 4.275.
“If someone is in the midst of fighting and battle,
In the great terror of humans at war,
If they are thinking of Avalokiteśvara
Immediately the enemies will be pacified."
The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, 24.40
In the great terror of humans at war,
If they are thinking of Avalokiteśvara
Immediately the enemies will be pacified."
The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, 24.40
June 22, 2025 at 3:25 AM
“If someone is in the midst of fighting and battle,
In the great terror of humans at war,
If they are thinking of Avalokiteśvara
Immediately the enemies will be pacified."
The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, 24.40
In the great terror of humans at war,
If they are thinking of Avalokiteśvara
Immediately the enemies will be pacified."
The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, 24.40
Oh hell yes. Sometime in '84 I walked into Bleeker Bob's in NYC and asked them to sell me the noisiest record they had. They sold me this.
June 16, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Oh hell yes. Sometime in '84 I walked into Bleeker Bob's in NYC and asked them to sell me the noisiest record they had. They sold me this.
Here's a quote to use the next time someone's annoyed at you for being late:
“Since the three times are pure sameness,
The notion of time has no application."
“Since the three times are pure sameness,
The notion of time has no application."
June 16, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Here's a quote to use the next time someone's annoyed at you for being late:
“Since the three times are pure sameness,
The notion of time has no application."
“Since the three times are pure sameness,
The notion of time has no application."