I accepted the job as abbot of the Empty Cloud Monastery. If you have prayers or merits or good wishes to share, I'm grateful.

Someone said a brief Dhamma thought posted here in bsky can't make a real impact ... but this one is different. Motivation to develop the 4 iddhipadas, (a generally ignored teaching), and a little known powerful teaching voice in "Collection of Renunciation Letters"

A wise bhikkhu advisor encouraged me to teach and meditate, meditate and teach.

This is my current favorite youtube channel for Dhamma and meditation instruction. If you are not already a fan, check it out!

In a nutshell, consciousness is the presence of experience, while nāmarūpa is the content of experience. Consciousness is the knowing and nāma is the making sense of rūpa, what is known. [Found in old notes about the āhāra. I understood it for a minute.] Translate rūpa here as "appearance"?

A supporter has kindly offered to make a proper simple personal website. To accept this offer there has to be a sponsor for the small monthly subscription. Contact me, Ayya Sobhana and I’ll put you in touch with the website volunteer.

This week at the Empty Cloud Monastery, Venerable Bambalapitiye Gnanaloka Thero is leading a meditation retreat. Such wonderful teachings are like a good soaking rain.

It seems like I will be online to give talks on the Empty Cloud channel, this Wednesday evening (tomorrow) and Friday morning. Plus on Friday evening, there is "monk talk" in a q&A format.

With Rebecca Fox at Greenville SC

With Ayya Sudhamma at Charlotte NC, last week

1. What do you think? Is Bsky best for keeping up with friends, for conversation about the Dhamma, for promoting one's own content, or for inserting more wisdom into the blogosphere?

Meditating for Peace youtu.be/D255FvxrM3M

A few good friends set up a WhatsApp with my permission. They gave it the light hearted name "Friends of Ayya Iowa Sobhana, the Bhikkhuni Monk from De Moines". This entire domain is new to me. Thank you (I think???)

Aj Sona will have a Q&A on his video, on Wednesday Evening Vancouver time.

This is an important video and should be required watching for anyone interested in the history of Buddhism ... Greek & Persian Influence On Early Buddhism. Congratulations to Aj Sona.

My connection to elder Dhamma sisters Ayya Sudinna and Ayya Sudhamma goes back to our shared times with Bhante G, Bhante Rahula, and Bhante Dhammaratana at the Bhavana Society

Catch me online during my visit with Ayya Sudhamma at Charlotte, NC June 18-25, Online teachings www.meetup.com/meditate-wit... Thurs 6/19, 7:00pm EDT Sat 6/21 2:00pm EDT Wed 6/25 10:30am EDT [image, supporting ordination candidate Dhira @ Metta Vihara Germany, 2015]

A while ago, I was on about the crosswalk between western thought and the Dhamma, via philosophy. Here is nice video. Obviously one would have to go deeper to discover the trace of ideas. www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA0w...

Wow!

Comparing Dhamma with Western thought makes me wonder why existentialism is less popular than stoicism, these days. If you know the answer, please write!

I will be taking my leave from California this June 17, visiting my dear monastic friends in Charlotte, NC and Greenville SC, landing at the Empty Cloud Monastery on July 1, and remaining there for the Vassa. Here's a really primitive page to be in touch and keep track of my travels.

Here's a wonderful resource: 84000.co is scholarly for translating the Tibetan Buddhist canon. The "stories" section is well-written and very interesting for any Buddhist.

graphic for the signless?

In the cult of Trumpism, followers must go along with ever more weird behavior, just as strict religions demand adherence to eccentric beliefs. Not sure how this works out in a democracy where they need more disengaged voters to win. [photo Jaroslav A. Polák] web.archive.org/web/20110825...

My book argues that Fazang conceptualizes things (dharmas) as dynamic and directed activities. They are activities because they give rise to other things. It is like seeds giving rise to sprouts, or loving-kindness giving rise to friendship. This derives from the Buddhist teaching of impermanence.

Can you see which way I'm going with these quotes?

A tale for our dark time.

Not hoarding, having comprehended food, their pasture — emptiness & freedom without sign: their trail, like that of birds through space, can't be traced. Dhp 92 Thanissaro Bhikkhu tr.

Thich

Here's a philosophical question, comparing Plotinus thought with Buddha thought. Since the apophatic idea of “the One” is unknowable, is there a sly parallel with avijja (not knowing) in dependent origination.

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@molaminjatta.bsky.social Thank you for the beautiful photos of your home land.

I tried to start a list of my favorite reliable resources in the Theravada, but Ancient Buddhist Texts, Sutta Central, GRETIL, and BDRC are not here in Bsky yet. Open Buddhist University is here, and they are great. buddhistuniversity.net

A good, accessible post, complementary to the Dhamma. Another way of introspection is watching emotions in terms of the five aggregates of clinging - pañcupādānakkhandhā. When all five are firing together it's an irresistible juggernaut. looking part by part, we find the power to choose wisely.

We had a good conversation yesterday about this phrase in the suttas "aniccasaññā, anicce dukkhasaññā, dukkhe anattasaññā" awareness of impermanence, awareness of the dukkha in impermanence, awareness of no self in dukkha. What do you think?

Yes. To abandon *all* attachments clears the way for calm & insight. Reading Faithfully is a lovely group of people doing a good service for the world. Anumodhana sādhu!

Reading the news without all the pop-up ads: archive.is I don't want so much to deprive the sponsors of their voice, but all the pop-ups freeze up my computer. A modern ascetical practice is to suffer with slow internet. Patiently waiting for the pages to arive.

This afternoon around 2:30 California time, our sangha will chant the Pamsukula, traditional funeral chant. We'll stream it on Dhammadharini's YT and FB

One should not neglect wisdom, One should preserve truth, One should cultivate relinquishment, One should practice for peace. MN140 "Exposition on the Elements"

AI-free searching in google udm14.com

Tonight I read about Sakka, the leader of gods, when he was a human prince called Magha. Magha saw the village was a dirty mess and cleaned up a space large enough to stand and be comfortable, but a bully pushed him out of it and took over the space.

Chants for making merit for the dead.

Practicing death awareness. Dispelling fear. What we can't face is exactly what conrols us. Image: Yamantaka, Fear-Striking Vajra, Destroyer of Death), statue of a guardian, enormous strength, Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism, Art Institute, Chicago, Illinois, USA