The sounds of the world
On this morning Sangha chanted and then ate lunch, usually donated and prepared by the community.
Under the table
And a little of the local gossip: Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva He Who Observers the Sounds of the World. In the 25th chapter of Lotus Sutra Avalokitesvara says he will take any form to deliver the Dharma to people—In India Avalokitesvara is male, in China (Guanyin) and Japan (Kannon) female. Avalokitesvara is often a part of both Mahayana and Theravada and Heart Sutra is Avalokitesvara talking to Shariputra .
The Saishi (priest) is waiting until 6:00 am to open the doors for the public to join chanting. at Sensoji, Asakuksa, Tokyo, founded in 645, and since WWII identified with Kannon.
Its a popular temple with businesses which cater to visitors, such as renting a kimono while walking around ‘or tour carts. hand drawn by young men .and Nakamise, a shopping street running through the big gate to the main temple with shops selling many things and senbei.
Temples, unlike western churches do not offer “regular group services. The monks have work to do. if large then the administration and clerical employees may be involved Temples have events, in smaller towns t may serve as like a community center, a place where local events or meetings occur.
Selfie at Sensoji—a piece of Earth was mined to provide material which went into making a consumer product—a selfie stick—which will be used for awhile and “thrown away” in the garbage.
And ten hours way in San Francisco, imagine attaching a $1000 computer-phone to a cheap “selfie stick?”
In San Francisco people come out and talk to each other; Union Square
These two were stating a business together on Market Street, the arms tell one story and the knees another.
Truth lies just outside of the UN plaza.
I spoke with this man, just to make sure, he was actually texting himself.
This gentleman was protesting something about collusion between Leo Leporte and Steve Jobs, collusion which did him wrong, so he claimed. (Leporte had a radio broadcasting career related to promoting Tech and answering questions about computers.) I liked that the strong color was in the background while the man is dressed in dreary colored clothes.
I saw her standing there in the street , bags on the side walk, it was uphill and I cold use a ret so I sat on a door entrance ledge, and watched. After about 20 minutes a big black car pulls, a young son gets out, phone-ear- hand-mouth busy, all the while as he with one free hand, he opens the trunk , loads the bags in three trips , opens t3he back door, escorts his mom in to the car, shuts the door, goes around to get in the driver’s side and drives aways, all the while talking on the phone.
A building of one first floor and one second floor apartments with a (shared?) garage and a view from the rear? Interesting living arrangements, nice if you are young.and ride a motorcycle.
Alameda Creek
“Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,” . . .
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,” . . .
“Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law, . . .”
The Preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of The United Nations is written in brass letters in the walk through UN Plaza in San Francisco.
Earth, wandering through the Universe, is the only human “known” location of “intelligent life.”
“Becoming Human,” the 400,000 years of human beings striving to get to today, to this moment, and then to the next moment, and so on . . .
Imagine all of Humanity as one living entity, one living thing, acting in its own interest, and each of us now and through history, are one functioning piece of a bigger whole.—I guess that would be like Earth being a Big Borg.
It does not appear to be a united well functioning effort different parts, the people, are acting against each other and if people is the measure of success, we end up killing others, many who are innocent people, for the survival of ourselves—those of “us” who are left here to read this, “they” are no long with us.
Humans have an archeological history of 300,000 years (more or less its a flexible category depending on definitions, buts its a long time compared to one of out lifetimes.). Compare contemporary tech innovations to those of (imagined) prehistory—they started out with nothing. and figure out practical knowledge such as Joinary; portable containers to hold liquid; fire and heat management; farming and many other great achievements, and all peoples on this Earth now figured out enough to survive this far. All the lives that have gone into this.moment,
EndPapers
For awhile my m/other lived in. a memory care facility. I used to show her photographs, here is my mother and father, I was did not know if she was able to remember.
A chart showing seasonality differences for Apple, could be product sales, gross income, who knows,
A simple design using contrasts of things to organize it—odds/evens, moving/standing , light/dark, big/small, and I always like the humor of the reflection.
A warm afternoon and birds beware.
brush painting by Janney
Gate gate paragate parasamgate Bodhi Svaha
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