M.J. Rose

From Parabola Magazine, a deeply though-provoking article about the nature of reality as seen by Zen Master Dogen…

“Seeing” by Zen Master Dogen

Commentary on, and original translation of, the great Zen icon

by Kazuaki Tanahashi

The view on “seeing” by Dogen, a thirteenth century Japanese Zen monk, is rather unique. He uses the word “dream” to describe the enlightenment of the Buddha, and the meditative experience of all practitioners. Counter to the common notion that dreams are unreal and actual phenomena are real, he asserts that the awakened ones’ profound wisdom is concrete, the source of all teaching, while actual phenomena are transient and unreliable.

Dogen presented this short essay titled “Within a Dream Expressing the Dream” to the assembly of the Kannondori Kosho Horin Monastery in Uji County, south of Kyoto, on the twenty-first day, the ninth month, the third year of the Ninji Era [1242]. The following text is translated by Taigen Dan Leighton and myself. (Excerpted from Treasury of the True Dharma Eye, Zen Master Dogen’s Shobo Genzo, Shambhala Publications, 2010, with permission by the publisher.)

Every dewdrop manifested

in every realm

is a dream.

The path of all buddhas and ancestors arises before the first forms emerge; it cannot be spoken of using conventional views…

For the complete piece please click here to go to Parabola.

…and where you will find those enigmatic carvings of an ancient helicopter, submarine, airplane and stealth fighter. But many more mysterious abound at ancient Abydos and Dendera – Have you heard of the Osirion? It was a special Temple of Initiation in ancient times and, according to Oom Sety, it holds a well of healing waters. And, you may ask, who was Oom Sety? She was an English girl who died after falling down the stairs and came back to life as the reincarnated 15 year old Priestess of Isis…

Read on in wonder!

The Two Most Mysterious but Least Visited Temples in Egypt

by Mara

A helicopter, stealth fighter, submarine and an aeroplane carved in stone on the ceiling of a 3000-year-old Egyptian Temple. Astrological maps of the Earth’s sky as it was 5000 B.C.; a 15 year Priestess of Isis who committed suicide in 1285 B.C. re-incarnates as a daughter of a half-Irish master tailor in 1904; healing waters; instructions for magical potions; boats sailing through Star Gates; hidden passages and secret rooms…welcome to some of the mysteries of the sacred, ancient Egyptian Temples at Abydos and Dendera!

Abydos – a sleepy little town 145 km. north of Luxor, known from ancient times as the burial place of the head of the god Osiris. It takes approx. 3 hours to drive there – less if you are lucky not to hit traffic in Qena and other towns on the road. Started by Sety I and finished by his son, Ramses the Great, the unique L-shaped Temple is built almost on top of another Temple – The Osirion.

When you enter the main Temple, walk past the first two columns, turn sharp right and walk straight ahead about another 2 -3 columns. Turn around and look up at the ceiling. You will clearly see, on the same carving – a helicopter, submarine, aeroplane and stealth fighter. Why did the ancient Egyptians carve these in the same place? I believe if they were scattered around the temple they could be written off as coincidences – but all in the one place has everyone who sees them questioning…

For the complete article click here to go to “Art of Backpacking”.

Thank you to Green Mother Medicine for pointing us to this post. GMM is a blog you don’t want to miss. You can find it here.

Bigfoot Investigators Hope DNA Test Will Confirm Existence Of Two Man-Beasts

(Aol Weird News)

California Bigfoot investigators were shocked over Memorial Day weekend when they found strange markings and hair on their pickup truck windows.

Now, they’re hoping DNA tests will prove once and for all the existence of the legendary man-beast.

“On the passenger side window, when I first saw it, I almost threw up,” said Jeffrey Gonzalez, an AT&T electronics technician and founder of the Sanger Paranormal Society.

Gonzalez and several others were in California’s Sierra National Forest searching for evidence to confirm the reality of the creature. When it started to snow at their campsite, they were forced to leave two of their vehicles behind…

For the complete article click here.