#Afghanistan

Das Ende der riesigen #Buddhas

Am 12. März 2001 #sprengten die #radikalislamischen #Taliban im #afghanischen #BamiyanTal zwei #BuddhaStatuen. Die #Zerstörung schreckte die #Weltgemeinschaft auf. Ob es je zu einem #Wiederaufbau kommt, ist jedoch ungewiss.
https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/buddha-statuen-bamiyan-afghanistan-taliban-100.html

#Kalenderblatt

My #Blog post Do AI #Buddhist Monk Bots Dream of Electric #Buddhas? is now on WordPress 🙏

https://sheerzed.me/2026/02/23/do-ai-buddhist-monk-bots-dream-of-electric-buddhas/

Chap 2
of New Year #Resolutions implementing change

I enrolled in an on line meditation course. I joined a few forums specialising in dharma or #Buddhist lore. There was no stopping me. I even announced my intention, probably not a good idea. Nothing riles Buddhists more than someone trying to practice Buddhism in a way they don’t approve of. I also joined a sort of Buddhist therapy by the enlightened. The non-dualists fired questions about what you were until you finally realised it was all a fantasy and nothing known as self exists. My ego was to be vapourised?
My new found on-line sangha or Buddhist community, were very kind. They have to be, it is part of the rules. Not really rules, more like skillful recommendations?

#Buddhism was started by a sort of male Grace Kelly #Princess of an ancient kingdom. Not happy with a sheltered magical life, the Shakya Clan Princess went through a series of New Age treatments until finally sitting under a tree and having a fig drop on their sacred bonce - or was that #Newton? Anyway he worked out the gravity of the situation and went about shouting the equivalent of #Eureka but with a little more decorum. Could this work? Where was the nearest fig tree?

I built a couple of shrines and slept on the floor between them. Buddhist monks are not allowed raised beds in case they hide women underneath. I am not sure of many women who would hide under beds for a bit of slap and tickle with a penniless baldy but one can take no chances. If a period of institutional misogyny has to be endured, sorry ladies, just be grateful I am not a strict #Jain. Their women have to incarnate as men to become enlightened! Ah well, a bit of nonsense helps with the training in patience. Or Not?
So the environment was in place, I chanted for help from Manjushri, Chenresig, Cundi (female Buddha), Tara (Lady Buddha too) and anyone else listening in the pantheon of other realm helpers. How could I fail? I installed Buddha’s in the garden, kitchen, bathroom and on an iPad, falling asleep with Buddha enlightenment on the mind and iPod touch tinny chants of encouragement.
There was a diversity of Buddhists. #Meditation seemed recommended by the majority as the fast way to #Nirvana, satori, awakening. The good stuff?

I soon learned that the mind is an unruly fellow to follow. Constantly changing. Never satisfied. Meditation would tame this beast and what would be left is Buddha Nature or #Enlightened #Mind All I had to do was sit and watch the antics of the meandering experience in stillness. Until finally, exhausted and exposed for time wasting, it would just sort of dissolve away into an empty puddle of nothingness. I had a plan. I could almost smell the land of #buddhas beckoning me... or was it moth balls?

"Nothing is born, nothing is destroyed. Away with you dualism, your likes and dislikes. Every single thing is just One Mind. When you have perceived this, you will have mounted the Chariot of the #Buddhas."

– Huangbo Xiyun

Daily #Zen #Buddhism #Xiyun #HuangboXiyun