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What does it mean to be a "Mexican Buddhist"? Born and raised in Los Angeles, which is still in many ways Mexico just like it originally was, I went to visit my brother in Orange County. We had recently returned from skiing at Mammoth, where I would meditate in the snow for fun outside the sliding glass door. I didn't realize his young daughter would watch me. So as I'm talking to him in his very modern kitchen, she yells, "Tio! Tio, look!"
If AI could paint a pic
I stick my head into the living room, where she is wearing a Peruvian cap with tassels seated in full lotus with perfect poise focused on her breath. "I've been practicing!" I didn't know what I was looking at. I thought I was the Mexican Buddhist (Chicano/a, Latin, Hispanic, whatever). Oh, to have had a phone camera in hand at that moment! In lieu of that, we've tried to reenact the moment with this mannikin.
Happy Mexican Independence Day (El Grito deDolores, "The Cry of Dolores [Hidalgo]," whose name literally means "pains"), which is NOT today. That's on Sept. 16th every year.
It's largely celebrated only in South Mexico, mostly in the state where an important act of colonial resistance took place. Here in Middle Mexico (Los Angeles, SoCal, extending from San Diego up to about Fresno), we celebrate the 4th of July after the 5th of May (lit., Cinco de Mayo) in much the same way. But they're not the same, and no one cares.
The Avian (Eagle) Bird People?
In the ongoing fight to resist European colonial occupation and exploitation, it's important to remember a "free and sovereign state" called Puebla in the United States of Mexico (Mexico's official name, Estados Unidos Mexicanos), is celebrating today. Is it the arrival of Buddhism? No, most Mexicans have no idea the la Dharma arrived in California, the Southwest, and Mexico in ancient times long before Christianity, Catholicism, or Columbus' aftermath the Conquistadors.
"Mexico" [a, b] is officially called the United Mexican States [c] and is a country in NORTH America, not south, not even central. But to distinguish it from its two other parts (the USA and Canada), it sometimes gets referred to as Mesoamerica.
It borders the USA to the north, Guatemala and Belize to the southeast, while having maritime boundaries with the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Caribbean Sea to the southeast, and the Gulf of Mexico (which would seem to be part of the Atlantic Ocean) to the east.
Racism/colorism in Mexico?
Where did Mexico's racist "caste (casta) system" come from? Spain
Mexico covers 761,610 square miles (1,972,550 km2) [12] and is now the thirteenth-largest country in the world by land area, having had a giant portion of its land occupied and stolen by the USA.
With a population exceeding 130 million, Mexico is the tenth-most populous country in the world (possibly the largest country if its annexed land and population were restored) and is home to the largest number of native Spanish speakers [1].
But Spanish was imposed on Mexicans on pain of death by Conquerors (Conquistadores), colonizers, plunderers from Spain, Southwest Europe.
Gringos welcome: Come swim in sinkholes, beaches
An Inglorious Columbus, 1885
Mexico's original language, if it had only one, would be Nahuatl (an Uto-Aztecan language of the Mexica people, who called their country "Mexico"). Its religion would likely be Buddhism (due to the influence of early Buddhist missionaries from Afghanistan and China because the West Coast from BC to Mexico is the mysterious land Chinese Buddhist explorers found, wrote about, and named fUSAng), Indigenous shamanism (animism, polytheism), or Native American spirituality were it not for colonial imposition of imperial Roman Catholicism, which rode in on the back of the Virgin Mary and her local appearance as La Virgen de Guadalupe). The Buddhism that thrives there today is a recent arrival, likely unaware of earlier missionary work.
Mexico City is the capital and largest city, which ranks among the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. (Los Angeles, a Mexican pueblo and city for most of its history, is similarly large -- a megalopolis on par with its Asian twin Bangkok in Buddhist Thailand).
Mexico is also the northwesternmost country in Latin America.
The human presence in Mexico dates back to at least 8,000 BC. Mesoamerica, a great cradle of civilization, was home to numerous advanced societies, including the:
Aztec Mexica goddess: Queen Cali
Olmecs,
Maya,
Zapotecs,
Teotihuacan civilization,
Purépecha.
Spanish colonization overthrew and enslaved the dominant Aztec Empire (from Aztlan, possibly Atlantis or Great Tartary), establishing the Southwestern European colony of "New Spain" (full of soldiers and priests from the Iberian Peninsula) with its capital at Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City).
Mexico became a major center of the transatlantic economy, fueled by the massive mining of silver that changed the world economy and the forced labor of Indigenous peoples and enslaved Africans [descendants of Afro-Caribbeans, Olmec-Africans, Black skinned indigenous peoples of the Americas and/or Polynesia?]
Who's the current imperial power around here?
The 1810–1821 Mexican War of Independence ended colonial Spanish rule and led to the creation of the First Mexican Empire, which quickly collapsed into the short-lived First Mexican Republic. In 1848, the new USA (an extension of British Empire) stole nearly half the territory of Mexico during what the U.S. calls the "Mexican–American War." More
20K-y-o labyrinth, 3K chambers hidden under Egypt’s pyramid found (The Daily Galaxy, UK)
20K-year-old labyrinth with 3K chambers hidden under Egypt’s pyramid finally found, as centuries-old claim resurfaces
A groundbreaking discovery has emerged from the sands of Egypt, where a labyrinth — hidden beneath a pyramid — could dramatically alter our understanding of ancient civilizations.
This labyrinth, boasting 3,000 rooms and multiple passageways, was once described by ancient historians like Herodotus. For centuries, the hiddenlabyrinth beneath the Hawara pyramid has sparked interest.
Herodotus, who visited Egypt in the 5th century BCE, wrote about a structure with 3,000 chambers, both above and below ground. He described the labyrinth as surpassing the pyramids in scale and complexity, though he was only able to view the upper chambers, as access to the underground levels was denied.
His accounting of this tale, rich in detail, suggests that the labyrinth was a remarkable feat of engineering, with passages that captivated all who saw it.
Atrahasis: Ark was round basket boat during flood:
Despite Herodotus’s descriptions, no direct evidence of the underground complex has been found — until recent advancements in technology.
Groundbreaking tools like satellite scans and ground-penetrating radar are now being used to investigate the site and reveal what may lie beneath the surface.
Modern discovery resurfaces the mystery
In 2023, a research paper titled “The Labyrinth, the Colossi, and the Lake” presented evidence supporting the existence of underground rooms at Hawara.
These findings align with Herodotus’s descriptions, suggesting that the labyrinth may have been a much older structure than previously thought.
Researchers used radar and satellite imaging to detect underground anomalies, potentially revealing parts of the long-hidden labyrinth.
While the discovery is promising, there remains debate within the academic community regarding its validity. Some experts express caution, while others argue that modern technology could provide the long-awaited evidence of the labyrinth’s existence.
Herodotus’s account and archeological efforts
Herodotus’s firsthand account has long been a key source of information about the labyrinth. In his writings, he described the structure as having chambers both above and below the surface. The underground sections, he claimed, were even more awe-inspiring, but access was restricted.
He further noted that the labyrinth was “greater than the pyramids” in grandeur. Modern archeology has struggled to verify this description.
In the 19th century, Sir Flinders Petrie uncovered what he believed to be the foundation of the labyrinth, but his findings were inconclusive due to limited resources and technology. Despite Petrie’s observations, definitive evidence of the labyrinth remained elusive.
The most recent use of space-based radar and electromagnetic surveys is helping uncover the truth.
These advanced technologies, unavailable during past archeological efforts, have made it possible to detect subsurface features beneath the pyramid at Hawara. The latest findings point to the existence of extensive underground structures that could align with Herodotus’s description of the labyrinth.
A 2008 expedition using electromagnetic surveys uncovered subterranean features that resembled ancient walls, indicating the possible presence of a mortuary complex or a hidden section of the labyrinth.
Recent 3D reconstructions of the area suggest two levels of underground chambers around the pyramid of Amenemhet III, further supporting the theory that the labyrinth is real.
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(LastWeekTonight)
May 4, 2025: John Oliver discusses the recent deportations [more extrajudicial "forced removals" because of the shocking absence of due process] by the Trump administration, the conditions in the facility people are being sent to abroad, and why even Jewish nice guy Henry "The Fonz" Winkler could be in danger of being expelled from the U.S.
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Friday was an odd day in Los Angeles, the cosmopolitan neighbor of Orange County, with cloud cover, cold, and a little mist. This is not the beach life, which is usually all sun (with some smog and traffic thrown in just to spoil the dream, a homeless mess and a meanness bordering on NYC style). The Los Angeles County Fairbegins, and the Renaissance Pleasure Fair continues. So the BeachLife Festival must go on, and Wisdom Quarterly will be there with DharmaBuddhistMeditation (Meetup) to make it better with public group meditation on the sands of Redondo Beach.
Imagine a concert by the seashore with surly winds and California clouds. May is warm, if still a little runny with the remains of the LA Fires. Sometimes Southern California gets a sudden spell of actual weather. This time will work. This time all the bands will rock. This time we're going to make the mood buoyant with mass meditation enough to levitate someone.
Imagine seeing Sublime, CAKE, the Long Beach Dub Allstars, (hot) Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles (the eyes of the band), Skip Marley (grandson of Bob Marley), or Alanis Morissette, The Beach Boys (or what's left of them but including handsome John Stamos)...
Big Head Todd and the Monsters, and a few others like the Pretenders, Lenny Kravitz, Aloe Blacc, The Struts, Shovels & Rope, Digable Planets, Train, O.A.R., Lily Meola, Jackson Brown, and even Mt. Joy.
Beautiful eyes are more beautiful with kohl
Dharma Buddhist Meditation will be present for a massmeditation to bring spiritual vibes to Day 2 of the event by positioning ourselves in different spots all around the concert (wearing Hoffs brand kohl around our eyes) before Sublime, on the sand, near the stage, away from the mosh pit (which will go crazy for CAKE), but be rocking for the LB Dub Allstars, Marley, and The Beach Boys!
It was all nerves, not sexy, seductive confidence?
Lenny Kravitz live at BeachLife Festival, Friday, May 2, 2025
Who's Alanis Morrisette? And is she ironic? - She went from Forgiven to Uninvited
WHAT HAPPENED?
Live 'n stoned at BeachLife Fest '25
(DanfromLA) Dan (possibly exhibiting some level of intoxication but accompanied by his mom for safety) shows the vibe (relaxed) and weather (long sleeves) out at BeachLife Festival 2025, as Lenny Kravitz interrupts him by singing, Friday, May 2, 2025, Redondo Beach, California. But, Dan, what about Susanna Hoffs?
She really feels it, so let's help -- and make LOVE (metta) with her:
What is metta (mass) meditation?
Meditation is walking, standing, or lying down
Mettā (Sanskrit maitrī) means "friendliness, loving-kindness (universal agape), benevolence, friendliness, amity, and good will."
It is an active interest in the wellbeing of others that leads to the impulse of compassion (karuna). It is the first of the Four Sublime States (brahma-viharas) recommended by the Buddha as helpful meditations to develop up to absorption (jhana).
It is one of theTen Perfections (dasa pāramīs) of the Theravāda school of Buddhism. The cultivation of it, called mettā bhāvanā, is a popular form of Buddhist meditation. It is a one of the Four Immeasurables (unlimitables, universals) in Divine Abiding meditation.
Metta or "loving-kindness meditation" is often practiced in Asia by broadcast chanting, during which Buddhist monastics chant for lay Buddhists.
It's easier when we act as one. I'll call you back.
The universal aspect of loving-kindness is discussed in the Buddha's Metta Sutta and is also found in the ancient and medieval texts of Jainism and Hinduism as metta and maitri. More
"Mass" meditation is doing meditation en masse, as a whole, in a group, a collective, increasing coherence, power, and influence. One person in samadhi (jhana) through metta is very powerful, imponderably so, but 100 even if they do not attain to the level of absorption, still have a tremendous effect on the collective consciousness of the region.
Alanis Morissette launces world tour in 2025 (Live Nation UK)
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Mexico became a major center of the transatlantic economy, fueled by the massive mining of silver that changed the world economy and the forced labor of Indigenous peoples and enslaved Africans [descendants of Afro-Caribbeans, Olmec-Africans, Black skinned indigenous peoples of the Americas and/or Polynesia?]
