As a Buddhist and a fan of heavy and — okay — weird music, I was pretty thrilled when a friend told me yesterday about Yamantaka // Sonic Titan, a band which, as Pitchfork.com puts it, "blends philosophies of Buddhism, meditation, and mantra with the band's love of extreme sounds like black metal, industrial, and noise. Their name, for example, pins a reference to the Buddhist deity Yamantaka with a song title from doom metal band Sleep's Dopesmoker." [A classic of the doom metal genre, in case you weren't aware.] If you're into even some of the things that YT//ST blends, you might very well like it yourself. (If not, that could be a whole 'nother story.)
After the jump: more about Yanantaka // Sonic Titan via Pitchfork, plus a video and a links (including an online stream of the bands new LP, YT//ST.
More with the band's two performance-artist founders, via Pitchfork:
Pitchfork: What's the narrative behind your new rock opera?
Alaska B: We're Buddhists, so it's about the Buddhist concept of struggle to enlightenment. The sound started out trying to approximate the energy of rock'n'roll — that strong psychic energy that's been carried since the 50s. We had this idea that when you see Tantric Buddhists, it's people making a lot of noise together; it's this long journey where you start in one place and don't know exactly where you end. We were trying to imagine the same vibe but in the rock'n'roll context– replacing those sounds with our sounds.
Ruby Kato Attwood: Our aim when we perform is to create an empty space — a sacred space — compared to what's called the Samsaric world, which is ever-changing and full of chaos.
Check out the full Pitchfork piece, which has LOTS more to it, here. It also includes online streams of three songs.
The makers of Digital Dharma, the documentary about the late, legendary Tibetologist E. Gene Smith — learn all about it, and him, in our previous coverage, including film clips and more — report: "We already have thousands of dollars backed on our Kickstarter campaign to help cover the costs of completing the score, sound mix and color correction for the feature-length film, but we will also need funds to edit the 52-minute broadcast version that will be distributed globally.
But unless we raise another $ 11,332 in the next 65 hours, we may have nothing to distribute." Click here to pitch in.
Photographer Nicholas Vreeland, a Buddhist monk holding a Geshe degree and grandson of well-known fashion editor Diana Vreeland, is donating the proceeds of his latest exhibition to help reconstruct the 14th century Tibetan monastery Rato Dratsang in Karnataka, India. Photos for Rato opened in 2009 in select cities and is currently showing at ICIA House in Kala Ghoda, a precinct in South Mumbai, India; photographs from the exhibit are available for purchase through the website, with all funds going to the Rato Dratsang Foundation. From the website: "Each image, signed and numbered, is part of a limited edition of 25."
According to the Rato Dratsang Foundation website, "In 1983, the few Rato monks able to escape Tibet built a two-story building. New monks have since come from northern India, Bhutan, Nepal, Taiwan, and the United States. Today the Rato community consists of over 120 monks. Unfortunately, they live in difficult conditions, with four monks currently having to share one room.
The Rato monks therefore decided to build a new monastery to accommodate their growing community. It is designed to include a temple, 66 monks' rooms, a dining room, and a kitchen, as well as an administration building."
Seth Piritha Video , Live From TNL with Gajanayakagama Kassapa Thero Sri Lanka, *********************************************************** This Seth Pirith Chanting was sang by Buddhist monks in Hunupitiya Gangarama Vihara, Sri Lanka for daily broadcast of TNL TV channel. The site is the Seemamalakaya at Gangaramaya in Colombo. The Buddhist monks in this video are from the left hand side of yours, * Gajanayakagama kassapa Himi (Now in US) * Palatuwe Jinarathana Himi * Meegasweve Somarathana thero * Kirinde Assaji thero * Rathanasara thero * (A visited monk on that day for the temple, still we don't have the name.we will published it later.) *************************************************** www.starlankaonline.com can here a MP3 Maha Piritha ( A Different version via Star Lanka Online Dot Com), Chanted by monks in Dharmavijaya Buddhist Vihara, 1847 Crnshaw Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90019, USA **************************** To Watch our other videos visit www.youtube.com or www.youtube.com or www.youtube.com Our Other Sites are, 1. Star Lanka Online www.starlankaonline.com 2. Buddhist Channel www.thetriplegem.blogspot.com 3. Informative Site : The Future www.thefuturematara.blogspot.com 4. Cricket and Sports Updates, www.cricketschedule.blogspot.com 5. priyanthadesilva.blogspot.com Maha Piritha, Rathana Suthraya, Karaneeyameththa Suthraya, telecasted by TNL everyday. Chanted by Monks in Hunupitiya Gangaramaya, Colombo. Video Rating: 4 / 5
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Sokuzan Robert Brown, a Soto Zen priest in the lineage of the late Kobun Chino Otogawa, spends an hour a week at one of five prisons within the Michigan Department of Corrections, offering classes on meditation to prisoners. According to the SokukoJi Prison Project, "This year we have donated dozens of malas (meditation beads) and given over fifty new Dharma books to inmates in various facilities just in the last six months." Brown was recently interviewed by Christina Shockley of Michigan Radio and was asked why he got started with prison work.
"I can't help it," he replied.
He elaborated: "…I started by helping myself. I was suffering and had a lot of difficulty, anger, frustration, depression—you name it. In my very early years I was in the Marine Corps (where I first started studying Buddhism) and [I] met my teacher about twelve years later, in my early thirties.
I began sitting meditation and it started to help me see what anger actually was. Rather than continually trying to push it away or ignore it, or explain it or justify it, instead meditation helps us (as it is practiced in the Buddhist tradition, in most cases) to see exactly what is the root [of] this; and, usually, as the Buddha taught, the root of suffering, or confusion, or delusion, is desire. Or, put in simple words, 'Wanting things to be different than they are.'"
Click here to learn more about the SokukoJi Prison Project. You can contribute to help Brown and his organization continue their important work.
Catching On: Finding Peace in Prison — Prisoner Timothy Burke on how Buddhist meditation has been helpful in finding peace — and deepening his understanding of Christianity.
Murder, Injustice, and the West Memphis Three — Rod Meade Sperry shares the tale of Jessie Misskelley, Jason Baldwin, and Damien Echols. Could what happened to them happen to any of us?
A Roshi on the Row — Kobutsu Malone takes Shodo Harada Roshi on an unprecedented visit to Arkansas' death row, where two condemned men now practice Zen. One of them, Damien Echols — subject of the HBO documentary "Paradise Lost"— is believed by many to be innocent.
The Great Escape — Yoga and meditation help Pippin Ross escape the hell of America's oldest prison for women.
Jamil's Heart — Through the practice of compassion meditation, Rosalind Harris transforms the grief of her son's murder into solidarity and friendship with all young African-Americans, whose life of violence and oppression is a national tragedy.
A Taste of Freedom — "After more than thirteen years behind bars," writes Fleet Maull, "a prisoner's short, bittersweet experience of freedom is a reminder of his guru and the free, cheerful state of mind that is available at every moment."
Free Download and DVD here: yogayak.com Direct Click for DVD - bit.ly 18 Classes on 1 disk for .95 Kavita in this ancient meditation, taught by the Buddha himself, brings unconditional love to your Self, your loved ones and even learn to send unconditional love to your least favorite people. Visualizing a beautiful green light around your heart chakra encourages open and encompassing love that leaves you feeling good through and through! Mettā (Pāli) or Maitrī (Sanskrit) means unconditional and unattached loving kindness. It is one of the ten pāramitās of the Theravāda school of Buddhism, and the first of the four Brahmavihāras. The mettā bhāvanā (cultivation of mettā) is a popular form of meditation in Buddhism, practiced with mindfulness of breath, which provides concentration, so as to prevent the loss of compassion. Contraindications: If you are being treated for any form of depression or mental illness consult your healthcare practitioner before beginning any form of meditation. Video Rating: 4 / 5
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"Just when I most identified myself as a Buddhist," writes Stephen Schettini – author of The Novice: Why I Became a Buddhist Monk, Why I Quit, and What I Learned — in the Winter 2011 Buddhadharma magazine, "I behaved least like a follower of the Buddha."
Tibet News / China's Control Over Nepal / Mustang A Kingdom On The Edge
While Tibetan Buddhist is squeezed inside of China's borders, there is a place where it still survives intact: Upper Mustang - a once forbidden kingdom high in the Nepalese Himalayas. Al Jazeera's Steve Chao travels there to document the fight to preserve an ancient culture, as China expands its influence into Nepal, and the modern world slowly creeps in. Video Rating: 4 / 5
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Seeing Fresh: Contemplative Photo of the Week Seeing Fresh: Contemplative Photo of the Week Feast For The Eyes Can Buddhist training de-stress teachers? Psychiatrist incorporates Buddhist philosophy to heal patients For Belgrave Buddhist monks, it's the rite way to celebrate Hemis Festival Celebrated by Drukpa Buddhists with Much Fanfare More than 70,000 Buddhists live in Mizoram Shrine's IPO plan sparks public outcry Thai society rediscovers the values of the Buddha to combat materialism and economic crisis South Korea's Buddhists monks tackle modern challenges Upaya Chaplaincy Training Program accepting applications for 2013 Self-immolation protests and suspicious deaths continue inside Tibet Seeing Fresh: Contemplative Photo of the Week Posted: 04 Jul 2012 07:00 AM PDT Last week we introduced a new weekly feature, Seeing Fresh , which showcases s...
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Ajahn Sudhiro is abbot of Wat Pah Kanjanabhisek and the founder of the Buddha Metta Project. He has been ordained as part of the Dhammayut forest tradition for over twenty years. Ajahn Sudhiro is in the lineage of the founder of the forest tradition, Ajahn Mun, and has done periods of tudong practice as well as solitary practice in a cave for two and eight years. He is one of the older generation of forest practitioners that has practiced in the forest and often tells stories of his time in solitary practice. After this he founded Wat Pa Kanjanabhisek near his hometown and has founded projects to help the local community. He helps children receive health care and educates the nearby Khon Khaen community about monasticism and meditation. In the last ten years, Ajahn Sudhiro has also been active internationally, teaching Buddhist groups in the UK and other parts of Europe. He regularly stays at the monasteries of the Ajahn Chah tradition here. He also established Sammapatipadarama monast...
As a Buddhist and a fan of heavy and — okay — weird music, I was pretty thrilled when a friend told me yesterday about 
The makers of Digital Dharma, the documentary about the late, legendary Tibetologist E. Gene Smith — 
