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vacchagotta
@vacchagotta.bsky.social
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Pāḷi Canon suttas, Buddhist musings and art
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vacchagotta.bsky.social
Did you see Michael Vassar met Epstein on the island?
February 2, 2026 at 6:42 AM
vacchagotta.bsky.social
Seated Buddha in the Gandharan style, gray schist, 3rd century CE, collection of the Toledo Museum of Art #Buddhism #Art
January 24, 2026 at 4:43 AM
vacchagotta.bsky.social
The ten armies of Māra, from Snp 3.2, the Padhānasutta, Sujato translation. #Buddhism
Sensual pleasures are your first army, the second is called discontent, hunger and thirst are the third, and the fourth is said to be craving. Your fifth is dullness and drowsiness, the sixth is said to be cowardice, your seventh is doubt, contempt and obstinacy are your eighth. Profit, praise, and honor, and misbegotten fame; the extolling of oneself while scorning others. This is your army, Namucī, the strike force of the Dark One. Only a hero can defeat it, but in victory there lies bliss. Let me gird myself— curse my life! I’d rather die in battle than live on in defeat. Here some ascetics and brahmins are swallowed up, not to be seen again. And they do not know the path traveled by those true to their vows. Seeing Māra ready on his mount, surrounded by his bannered forces, I shall meet them in battle— they’ll never make me retreat! That army of yours has never been beaten by the world with all its gods. Yet I shall smash it with wisdom, like an unfired pot with a stone.
January 22, 2026 at 9:43 PM
vacchagotta.bsky.social
The Buddha triumphing over Māra, basalt sculpture, 900-1000 CE, collection of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco #Buddhism #Art
January 19, 2026 at 3:37 AM
vacchagotta.bsky.social
Jay Jones with laser eyes
January 19, 2026 at 2:09 AM
vacchagotta.bsky.social
Zhang Huan, Sydney Buddha, 2015 #Buddhism #Art
January 10, 2026 at 2:36 AM
vacchagotta.bsky.social
Tadao Ando, Hill of the Buddha, Sapporo, 2015 #Buddhism #Architecture
January 9, 2026 at 4:24 AM
vacchagotta.bsky.social
Just a quick reminder of what Matt Forney looks like
January 6, 2026 at 6:38 AM
vacchagotta.bsky.social
A great post I have saved on that subject:
We're so far out from the geocentrist paradigm that it's hard to understand the logic of classical symbolism, but really it makes perfect sense. If the world was deliberately created specifically for us then why wouldn't things we find similar be inherently related? "Blood is hot and red and fire is hot and red therefore blood is like fire" is the same logic of playing a videogame and knowing the blue key goes to the blue door
December 27, 2025 at 4:00 AM
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"Is it possible to exercise rulership righteously: without killing and without instigating others to kill, without confiscating and without instigating others to confiscate, without sorrowing and without causing sorrow?"

SN 4.20, Rajjasutta, Bodhi translation #Buddhism
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Kosalans in a small forest hut in the Himalayan region. Then, when the Blessed One was alone in seclusion, a reflection arose in his mind thus: “Is it possible to exercise rulership righteously: without killing and without instigating others to kill, without confiscating and without instigating others to confiscate, without sorrowing and without causing sorrow?” Then Mara the Evil One, having known with his own mind the reflection in the Blessed One’s mind, approached the Blessed One and said to him: “Venerable sir, let the Blessed One exercise rulership righteously: without killing and without instigating others to kill, without confiscating and without instigating others to confiscate, without sorrowing and without instigating others to cause sorrow.” “But what do you see, Evil One, that you speak thus to me?” “Venerable sir, the Blessed One has developed and cultivated the four bases for spiritual power, made them a vehicle, made them a basis, stabilized them, exercised himself in them, and fully perfected them. And, venerable sir, if the Blessed One wishes, he need only resolve that the Himalayas, the king of mountains, should become gold, and it would turn to gold.” The Blessed One: “If there were a mountain made of gold, Made entirely of solid gold, Not double this would suffice for one: Having known this, fare evenly. “How could a person incline to sensual pleasures Who has seen the source whence suffering springs? Having known acquisition as a tie in the world, A person should train for its removal.” Then Mara the Evil One, realizing, “The Blessed One knows me, the Fortunate One knows me,” sad and disappointed, disappeared right there.
December 13, 2025 at 1:20 AM
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Co-Arising!, acrylic on canvas by OLD SICK DEAD, showing a a tesselation of strictly chiral aperiodic monotiles resembling the Buddha in jhāna mudra #Buddhism #Art
December 11, 2025 at 6:28 PM
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[Kamada:]
So hard it is to do, Lord,
It's so very hard to do!

[Buddha:]
But still they do what's hard to do,
Who steady themselves with virtue.
For one pursuing homelessness,
Content arrives, and with it joy.

SN 2.6, Kāmadasutta, Andrew Olendzki translation #Buddhism
December 10, 2025 at 6:38 PM
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Buddha, painting by Odilon Redon, distemper on canvas, 1904 #Buddhism #Art
The Buddha sitting in a meditative posture, viewed in profile, in front of a tree, surrounded by swirling impressionistic wildflowers
December 10, 2025 at 4:12 PM
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I think the tree trunk was one of the bedposts. From Fagles' translation, Book XXIII
November 28, 2025 at 2:38 AM
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November 26, 2025 at 5:57 PM
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Sakyamuni Emerging from the Mountain, sculpture by Huang Tu-shui (黃土水), bronze replica of wooden original, 1926 #Buddha #Buddhism #Art
The Buddha Gotama, dressed in monk's robe, standing, palms together in front of his chest
November 24, 2025 at 10:42 PM
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From the Arakasutta, AN 7.74, the Buddha tells us some facts about our limited lifespan and urges us not to be negligent in our spiritual development. #Buddhism
These days it’d be right to say: ‘Life as a human is short, brief, and fleeting, full of suffering and distress. Be thoughtful and wake up! Do what’s good and lead the spiritual life, for no-one born can escape death.’ For these days a long life is a hundred years or a little more. Living for a hundred years, there are just three hundred seasons, a hundred each of the winter, summer, and rains. Living for three hundred seasons, there are just twelve hundred months, four hundred in each of the winter, summer, and rains. Living for twelve hundred months, there are just twenty-four hundred fortnights, eight hundred in each of the winter, summer, and rains. Living for 2,400 fortnights, there are just 36,000 days, 12,000 in each of the summer, winter, and rains. Living for 36,000 days, you just eat 72,000 meals, 24,000 in each of the summer, winter, and rains, including when you’re suckling at the breast, and when you’re prevented from eating. Things that prevent you from eating include anger, pain, sickness, sabbath, or being unable to get food. So mendicants, for a human being with a hundred years lifespan I have counted the lifespan, the limit of the lifespan, the seasons, the years, the months, the fortnights, the nights, the days, the meals, and the things that prevent them from eating. Out of sympathy, I’ve done what a teacher should do who wants what’s best for their disciples. Here are these roots of trees, and here are these empty huts. Practice absorption, mendicants! Don’t be negligent! Don’t regret it later! This is my instruction to you.”
November 22, 2025 at 3:02 AM
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Shussan Shaka (Śākyamuni Descending from the Mountain), wooden sculpture, 14th century, collection of Nara National Museum, Japan #Buddhism #Art
Wooden sculpture depicting an emaciated Gautama Buddha, dressed in robes and carrying a staff.
November 15, 2025 at 5:00 AM
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"The Road to You", sculpture by Choi Yun-su (최윤수), grand prize winner of the 33rd annual Korean Buddhist Art Exhibition held by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism #Buddhism #Art
Metal sculpture of the Buddha in bas-relief, seated in jhāna mudra, at the center of a circular labyrinth
November 12, 2025 at 12:24 AM
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Gain and loss, fame and disgrace,
blame and praise, and pleasure and pain.
These qualities among mankind are impermanent,
transient, and perishable.

AN 8.6, Dutiyalokadhammasutta, Sujato trans.
Gain and loss, fame and disgrace, blame and praise, and pleasure and pain. These qualities among mankind are impermanent, transient, and perishable. An intelligent and mindful person knows these things, seeing that they’re perishable. Desirable things don’t disturb their mind, nor are they repelled by the undesirable. Both favoring and opposing are cleared and disappeared, they are no more. Knowing the stainless, sorrowless state, they who have gone beyond rebirth understand rightly.
October 31, 2025 at 11:10 PM
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Monks, when the perception of a skeleton is developed and cultivated it’s very fruitful and beneficial... it leads to great benefit... it leads to great sanctuary from the yoke... it leads to great inspiration... it leads to dwelling in great ease.

SN 46.57, Aṭṭhikamahapphalasutta
A novelty coffee mug that has a skeleton sitting in it like he's bathing in the coffee.
October 31, 2025 at 7:56 PM
vacchagotta.bsky.social
Mfw
October 27, 2025 at 9:45 PM
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When a worldling experiences painful physical feelings they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. They experience two feelings: physical and mental.

It’s like a person who is struck with an arrow, only to be struck with a second arrow.

SN 36.6, Sallasutta
October 22, 2025 at 9:27 PM
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Suh Yongsun, Buddha 1, 2015 #Buddhism #Art
August 29, 2025 at 6:22 PM
vacchagotta.bsky.social
August 28, 2025 at 4:36 PM