Nyungne in Menlo Park 2016

A Nyungne Retreat is a special two-day meditation, fasting and purification retreat based on the practice of Thousand-Armed Chenrezig and is known for its power in the purification of negative karma and the accomplishment of enlightened qualities. 

This practice was originated by Gelongma Palmo, (Bhikkuni Lakshmi), who was one of the greatest masters of the 1,000-armed Chenrezig practice. 

The Nyungne is a retreat of body, speech and mind from non-virtuous actions, focusing on keeping strict vows for a two-day period, generating the Bodhisattva attitude, and reciting the sadhana of the 1000-armed Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of compassion. 

The vows to be observed include refraining from: 

* Killing. 
* Stealing. 
* Lying. 
* Sexual activities (celibacy). 
* Drinking alcohol, taking drugs, smoking cigarettes. 
* Using perfumes, wearing make-up or ornaments, singing, playing music, dancing and other forms of entertainment. 
* Eating in inappropriate times. 
* Sitting in high seats. 

A set of Nyungne consists of 2 days of strict practice. On the first day, we took one light meal in the morning and one meal at noon, and fast the rest of the day while engaging in three sessions of practice. Like other Vajrayana sadhanas, the Nyungne sadhana involves visualization of the deity, accompanied by prayers, offerings and prostrations, and extensive recitation of the mantra. The sessions begin early in the morning and conclude in the late afternoon. 

On the second day, we observed complete fasting from food and water, and also maintained strict silence, except for the recitation of the Sadhana.

Nyungne is a practice of yidam from Kriya-tantra tradition which not only helps to purify a lot of negative karma in a short time and accumulate merits but also aids in healing illness and opening the heart to compassion. It is said that pure practice on one pair of Nyungne closes the gates of rebirth in lower realms, and the pure completion of eight pairs of Nyungne's leads to rebirth in the Dewachen Pure Land.

In addition, reciting the six syllable Mani Mantra during the retreat, not only purifies the six seeds of the six realms within oneself, it also pacifies the sufferings of all beings. In this way, the practice brings peace to the entire world and can be a cause for World Peace, very appropriate and timely in these degenerate times. 

I attended all four pairs of Nyungne's and concluded early in the morning of the ninth day with a short practice session. It was lead by Lama Jampa and Ani Yangchen. Felt quite complete at the very end!

  

Nageire Moribana

雲門舞集 "稻禾"

《稻禾》向大地致敬
不分台前台後，雲門以扎實的行動呼應這行字。
林懷民口述: 我有「稻米情節」;一粒米，一畝田，與台灣土地的未來; 細節，創造歷史！

我曾在電視上觀賞過稻禾在池上的首演，是同樣節目來美巡迴演出。音樂主要是客家歌謠，投影為台東池上稻田，以舞蹈表現出稻穀的生命循環。《稻禾》的創作源自於盛產「皇帝米」的臺灣臺東池上鄉，主要是向孕育舞團的臺灣土地與人民致敬的作品。舞團創辦者暨藝術總監林懷民運用泥土、花粉、穀實、風、水、火等自然界素材為題編舞，描述稻米生命週期的同時，藉舞作委婉喻示人生，其演出融入舞者修習多年的內家拳與太極導引身法。

《稻禾》是林懷民2013年為舞團創團40周年慶的特別創作，為實地體驗稻米生命週期，帶領包含舞者與技術人員實際遠赴臺東池上鄉，與在地農友共同收割稻米，舞作預演舞臺甚至搭建於稻米田當中。從早年京劇元素運用、新店溪野地訓練，到 80 年代後引入太極導引、內家拳、武術，雲門將東方美學內化為獨特的身體語言。

Groundhog Day

An old superstition says: If it is sunny on February 2, there will be six more weeks of winter. It it is cloudy, then there will be an early spring.

This superstition came to the U.S. with German farmers. They said: "If a groundhog sees his shadow on February 2, spring will be late. If he sees no shadow, there will be an early spring." That's why February 2 is called Groundhog Day.

Seal Lullaby, by Rudyard Kipling

Oh! Hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us,

  And black are the waters that sparkled so green.
The moon, o’er the combers, looks downward to find us,
  At rest in the hollows that rustle between.

Where billow meets billow, then soft be thy pillow,
  Oh weary wee flipperling, curl at thy ease!
The storm shall not wake thee, nor shark overtake thee,
  Asleep in the arms of the slow swinging seas!

This poem is beautiful, memorable, and finely crafted. Eric Whitacre made this lovely poem into a song. It’s absolutely brilliant.

I see this song as a mother seal looking in on her sleeping pup (much the way any parent looks in on their sleeping child), and softly sings this sweet lullaby, while the reader (or listener of Eric Whitacre’s beautiful setting) envisions the trials and adventures of her little baby, through these picturesque and poetic words.

Flipperling is a term of endearment that the mother is using to refer to her baby. Also, I believe that the hollows they’re at rest in are the hollows in between the waves at sea. Billow is another name for a wave, and I’ve always understood that the mother and baby are floating in the water while she sings the lullaby.

Both weary and wee are adjectives describing the baby seal. Weary means that it is tired, and wee means that it is small.

寶貝兒， 夜幕低垂。

潮水黑中透綠，

月光輕撫海浪俯視我們。

讓我們在沙沙潮水裡休息吧。

輕柔的潮浪是你安枕的地方，

疲憊的小寶貝兒，放心地捲曲吧。

願浪潮不會吵醒你，鯊魚也不能傷害你，

在輕搖大海的懷抱中安睡吧！

Moribana (straight & 一型)

Vice (Movie, 2015)

What a terrible movie! There is hardly any character development. Bruce Willis should be ashamed of himself. Seriously. And Thomas Jane is TERRIBLE in this movie.