Are AIs the New Gurus? Who Do We Trust Now?

[Parrhesia]

Back in the day, people looked to priests, teachers, philosophers—real people—for answers about life, truth, meaning. Now? We're asking TikTokers, YouTubers, and even ChatGPT what’s real.

We follow “gurus” who drop daily hot takes, let algorithms tell us what to watch, and trust AI to give us the “truth” in a neat little paragraph. It’s wild.

So what does that mean?


Are we replacing old belief systems with algorithms?

Is asking an AI for advice that different from going to a priest or a therapist?

Are we still thinking for ourselves, or are we just outsourcing it to whoever sounds confident?




Would love to hear what you all think. Who do you trust these days—and why?

[kFoyauextlH]

This is a great question and something I've been thinking about a lot again, but a slightly different angle possibly, which is about how people necessarily have to be the judges of who they think are right or wrong, but that really makes their own self the person who is in the position of needing to know best before they have encountered anything and during the encounter with the information. So people "know it to be true", but how? They didn't even know about the topic in the first place sometimes. So that is what is interesting to me, what convinces people that someone is true or false, right or wrong, when they don't know themselves, and that they are left to be the judge, and what smoothly convinces them to take on someone as their guide?

Like, if this person or thing is your guide, and it is telling you things which you didn't know or know about, how did you make it your guide without knowing if it is right or wrong but deciding that it is?

So then all the confidence tricks come in, all the fallacies potentially, the ways in which people hand over themselves to figures that they somehow determined know what they are saying without knowing about what they are saying, which is weird and absurd seeming to me, like a Catch 22 even, but one that goes through smoothly.

There are people that believe in religions like they themselves are in the position to know and to say who or what God is or isn't like or did or does, but how, and who are any of these people, and what really are those writings compared to what people claim of them?

Humans are audacious, and now it has become commonplace and very normalized for huge chunks of the population to say heavy things, like that they are personally addressing the Creator of all the vastness of creation, and are also the child of this, that they call Father? This is a very casual claim commonly made. People are in the midst of a fever dream saying and thinking and accepting without much difficulty or any serious explanation anything they are saying and how they are narrating things about themselves and everything else.

They trust themselves seemingly, which is how they end up trusting anyone or anything else, but they have little reason to trust themselves except that they have no other choice and it is the only option to proceed at all.

[kFoyauextlH]

Do we have a thread on machine assistance making us dependent and then being disabled, making us totally overwhelmed by the machjne assisted "law enforcement" or "authorities" with their bosses being A.I. dependent too and possibly not even being there or real eventually, used to beat the livjng daylights out of the servitor class who can get their devices locked and turned against thrmselves if necessary? Would this thread be alright to use for such an extension?

[kFoyauextlH]

Buddhists have always been anti-human and transhuman traitors to humanity.

One of the images I associate with Lord Mara or Imra is:

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/8Q8AAOSw ... s-l400.jpg

Turns out that Mara was Pro-Life and Buddhists are Anti-Life:

https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/402 ... f-buddhism



https://loveofallwisdom.com/blog/2019/0 ... t-rebirth/

https://slate.com/culture/2003/02/why-i ... dhism.html

https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/bijaka#buddhism

"
Ayurveda (science of life)
[«previous (B) next»] — Bijaka in Ayurveda glossary
Agriculture (Krishi) and Vrikshayurveda (study of Plant life)

Bījaka (बीजक) refers to “plants where the seed and fruit can no longer be distinguishable from one another”; and represents one of the four types of Phala (fruit); representing a technical term related to the morphology branch of “plant science”, which ultimately involves the study of life history of plants, including its origin and development, their external and internal structures and the relation of the members of the plant body with one another.—According to their nature, fruits may be divided into the following types: Tundika, Bījaka, Kurca, Āsphoṭaka. Regarding the bījaka type:—The seed and fruit can no longer be distinguishable from one another and the entire structure germinates into the seedling, e.g. śākavṛkṣa, kakubha, sindhuvāra, tṛṇadhānya.
"

https://www.wisdomlib.org/buddhism/book ... 27258.html

"
BD.1.33 Then Venerable Sudinnaʼs mother, together with his former wife, approached Venerable Sudinna in the Great Wood. There she said to him:

“This family, dear Sudinna, is rich, has great wealth and property, much gold and silver, many resources and requisites, much wealth in grain. For this reason, Sudinna, beget offspring; do not let the Licchavis take over our heirless property.”

“It is possible for me to do this, mother,” he said. He then took his former wife by the arm, plunged into the Great Wood and—there being no training rule and he seeing no danger—had sexual intercourse with his former wife three times. As a result she conceived.

MS.63 The earth-gods cried out: “Good sirs, the Sangha of monks has been healthy[25] and free from danger. But Sudinna the Kalandaka has produced a tumour, has produced danger.”

The gods belonging to the heaven of the four great kings hearing the cry of the earth-gods in turn cried out … the Tāvatiṃsa gods … the Yāma gods … the Tusita gods … the gods who delight in creation … Vin.3.19 the gods who control the creation of others … the gods belonging to the retinue of the supreme beings in turn cried out:

“Good sirs, the Sangha of monks has been healthy and free from danger. But Sudinna the Kalandaka has produced a tumour, has produced danger.” Thus in that moment, in that instance, the report spread as far as the Brahmā-world.[26]

MS.64 Then the pregnancy of Venerable Sudinnaʼs wife developed and she eventually gave birth to a son. Now the friends of Venerable Sudinna called this boy Bījaka[27]; they called Venerable Sudinnaʼs former wife Bījakaʼs mother; they called Venerable BD.1.34 Sudinna Bījakaʼs father. After some time they both[28] went forth from home into homelessness, and they realised arahantship.

Bu-Pj.1.5.10 MS.65 But Venerable Sudinna was anxious and remorseful, and he thought: “Indeed, itʼs a loss for me, itʼs no gain; indeed, itʼs badly gained by me, not well-gained: having gone forth in such a well-proclaimed Dhamma and training, I was not able for life to practice the perfectly complete and pure spiritual life.” And because of his anxiety and remorse, he became thin, haggard and pale, his veins protruding all over his limbs; he became sad, of sluggish mind, miserable, depressed, remorseful, weighed down with grief.[29]

MS.66 Then the monks who were Venerable Sudinnaʼs friends said to him: “Formerly, friend Sudinna, you were handsome, your features rounded, your face a good colour, your skin clear. But now you are thin, haggard and pale, your veins protruding all over your limbs; and you are sad, of sluggish mind, miserable, depressed, remorseful, weighed down with grief. Could it be, friend Sudinna, that you lead the spiritual life dissatisfied?”[30]

MS.67 “I do not, friends, lead the spiritual life dissatisfied. I have done an bad deed. I have had sexual intercourse with my former wife. That is why I am anxious … I was not able for life to practice the perfectly complete and pure spiritual life.”

MS.68 “Friend Sudinna, no wonder you are anxious,[31] no wonder you feel remorse, in that, having gone forth in such a well-proclaimed Dhamma and training, you were not able for life to practice the perfectly complete and pure spiritual life. BD.1.35 Is not, friend, the Dhamma taught by the Master in various ways for the sake of dispassion, not for the sake of passion; for the sake of freedom from bondage, not for the sake of bondage; for the sake of non-grasping, not for the sake of grasping? When the Dhamma is taught by the Master for the sake of dispassion, how can you be intent upon passion?

When the Dhamma is taught by the Master for the sake of freedom from bondage, Vin.3.20 how can you be intent upon bondage? When the Dhamma is taught by the Master for the sake of non-grasping, how can you be intent upon grasping? Friend, has not the Dhamma been taught in many ways by the Master for the waning of passion, for the subduing of intoxication, for the restraint of desire, for the abolition of clinging, for the annihilation of the round of existence,[32] for the destruction of craving, for fading away, for cessation, for extinguishment?[33] Has not the abandoning of sense pleasures been declared in many ways by the Master, the full understanding of the perception of sense pleasures, the abolishing of thirst for sense pleasures, the elimination of thoughts of sense pleasures, the stilling of the fever of sense pleasures? It will not, friend, give rise to confidence in those without it, nor increase the confidence of those who have it, but it will hinder confidence in those without it and it will cause some with confidence to change their minds.”


Bu-Pj.1.5.11 MS.69 Having rebuked Venerable Sudinna in various way, those monks told this matter to the Master. And in this connection the Master convened the Sangha of monks and questioned Venerable Sudinna:

BD.1.36 “Is it true, Sudinna, that you had sexual intercourse with your former wife?”

“It is true, Master.”

MS.70 The Buddha, the Master, rebuked him: “Foolish man, it is not suitable it is not becoming, it is not proper, it is unworthy of a recluse, it is not allowable, it is not to be done. How could you go forth in such a well-proclaimed Dhamma and training and not be able for life to practice the perfectly complete and pure spiritual life? Have I not taught the Dhamma in many ways for the sake of dispassion … When the Dhamma has been taught by me for the sake of dispassion, how can you be intent upon passion? … Have I not in many ways declared the abandoning of sense pleasures … the stilling of the fever of sense pleasures?

It would be better, foolish man, for your male organ to enter the mouth of a terrible and poisonous snake than to enter a woman. It would be better for your male organ to enter the mouth of a black snake than to enter a woman. It would be better for your male organ to enter a charcoal pit, burning, ablaze, afire, than to enter a woman. Why is that? Because for that reason you might die or experience deadly suffering, but you would not on that account, at the breaking up of the body after death, be reborn in the plane of misery, a bad destination, the abyss, hell. But for this reason, at the breaking up of the body after death, you might be reborn in the plane of misery, Vin.3.21 a bad destination, the abyss, hell.[34]

Foolish man, you have practised what is contrary to the true Dhamma,[35] the common BD.1.37 practice, the low practice,[36] the coarse practice, that which ends with a wash,[37] that which is done in private, that which is done wherever there are couples. You are the forerunner, the first performer of many unwholesome things. It will not give rise to confidence in those without it, nor increase the confidence of those who have it, but it will hinder confidence in those without it and it will cause some with confidence to change their minds.”

MS.71 Then the Master, having rebuked Venerable Sudinna in various ways, spoke in dispraise of being difficult to support and maintain, in dispraise of great desires, lack of contentment, socialising[38] and laziness, but he spoke in praise in various ways of being easy to support and maintain, of desiring little, contentment, self-effacement,[39] ascetic practices, serenity, decrease of defilements,[40] and of the putting forth of energy.[41] Having given a Dhamma talk on what was right and seemly, he addressed the monks:

“On account of this,[42] monks, I will lay down a training rule for the monks for the following ten reasons: for the well-being of the Sangha, for the comfort of the Sangha, for the restraint of recalcitrant people, for the ease BD.1.38 of well-behaved monks, for the restraint of corruptions that pertain to the present life and for warding off corruptions that pertain to future lives, to give rise to confidence in those without it and to increase the confidence of those who have it, for the continuation of the true Dhamma[43] and for supporting the training.[44] And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:

First preliminary ruling

MS.72 If a monk has sexual intercourse, he is expelled[45] and not in communion.”

MS.73 Thus the Master laid down this training rule for the monks.

MS.74 The section on Sudinna is finished.
Second sub-story

MS.75 At one time a certain monk in the Great Wood near Vesālī won over a female monkey with food and had sexual intercourse with her. Then, in the morning, he dressed, took his bowl and robe and entered Vesālī for alms. Now at that time a number of monks who were engaged in touring the lodgings came to this monkʼs dwelling. The female monkey, seeing those monks coming, went up to them and shook her buttocks in front of them, wagged her tail, presented her buttocks and made a gesture. Vin.3.22 Then the BD.1.39 monks thought: “Undoubtedly this monk is having sexual intercourse with this monkey,” and they hid to one side. Then, when that monk had gone for alms in Vesālī and had returned with his almsfood, he ate one part himself and gave the rest to the female monkey. Having eaten the food, the monkey presented her buttocks to the monk. He then had sexual intercourse with her.
"

https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/licchavi

"
A powerful tribe of India in the time of the Buddha. They were certainly khattiyas, for on that ground they claimed a share of the Buddhas relics. D.ii.165; according to the Mtu.i.283, etc., they belonged to the Vasistha gotta; cp. the Mallas (q.v.), who are called Vasetthas.

Their capital was Vesali, and they formed a part of the Vajjian confederacy, being often referred to as the Vajjis (q.v.). Their strength lay in their great unity; if one Licchavi fell ill, all the others would visit him. The whole tribe would join in any ceremony performed in the house of Licchavi, and they would all unite in honouring any distinguished visitors to their city (DA.ii.519). They were beautiful to look at and wore brilliantly coloured garments, riding in brightly painted carriages (D.ii.96; A.iii.219: cp. Mtu.i.259). The Buddha once compared them to the gods of Tavatimsa (D.ii.96; also DhA.iii.280).
"

https://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?t=35534

"
I was reading MN 90 and read the following:

General Viḍūḍabha... Have you heard of the gods of the Thirty-Three (sutā te devā tāvatiṃsā ti?)?

Yes, Venerable... Ananda... and so has the good King Pasenadi...

So the king said to the Buddha, “Sir, I asked you about omniscience, and you answered. I like and accept this, and am satisfied with it. I asked you about the four classes, about the gods, and about Brahmā, and you answered in each case. Whatever I asked the Buddha about, he answered. I like and accept this, and am satisfied with it. Well, now, sir, I must go. I have many duties, and much to do.” Then King Pasenadi approved and agreed with what the Buddha said. Then he got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.

https://suttacentral.net/mn90/en/sujato

My impression from MN 90 is King Pasenadi & his son General Viḍūḍabha did not know much about Buddhism. In fact, at the end of the sutta, it appears King Pasenadi did not even take Refuge in the Triple Gem. However, it appears when Venerable Ananda asked General Viḍūḍabha the question: "Have you heard of the gods of the Thirty-Three?"; this question was about the gods of the Thirty-Three found in the pre-existing Brahmanism.

Since I do not know what the gods of the Thirty-Three are, I googled it and found the following:

The Thirty-three deities (Sanskrit: trayastriṃśat) is a pantheon of Vedic deities, some of Vedic origin and some developed later. The 33 are:

Eight Vasus (deities of material elements) – Dyauṣ "Sky", Pṛthivī "Earth", Vāyu "Wind", Agni "Fire", Nakṣatra "Stars", Antarikṣa "Atmosphere" or "Space", Sūrya "Sun", Chandra "Moon"

Twelve Ādityas (personified deities) – Vishnu, Aryaman, Indra (Śakra), Tvāṣṭṛ, Varuṇa, Bhaga, Savitṛ, Vivasvat, Aṃśa, Mitra, Pūṣan, Dakṣa.

Eleven Rudras, consisting of: (i) Five abstractions – Ānanda "bliss", Vijñāna "knowledge", Manas "thought", Prāṇa "breath" or "life", Vāc "speech" (ii) Five names of Śiva – Īśāna "revealing grace", Tatpuruṣa "concealing grace", Aghora
dissolution/rejuvenationBhairava", Vāmadeva "preserving aspect", Sadyojāta "born at once"; (iii) Ātmā "self"

Other sources include the two Aśvins (or Nāsatyas), twin solar deities.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty-three_gods
"

"
Vinaya, Culavagga 6.30:

Now the Likkhavis of Vesâlî heard that the Blessed One had arrived at Kotigâma. And the Likkhavis of Vesâlî ordered a number of magnificent vehicles to be made ready, mounted these vehicles, and left Vesâlî with their magnificent vehicles in order to visit the Blessed One. Some of the Likkhavis were dark, dark in colour, and wearing dark clothes and ornaments; some of them. were fair, fair in colour, and wearing light clothes and ornaments; some of them were red, ruddy in colour, and wearing red clothes and ornaments; some of them were white, pale in colour, and wearing white colours and ornaments.

.....
Then the Likkhavis went to the place where the Blessed One was. And the Blessed One saw the Likkhavis coming from afar; when he saw them, he addressed the Bhikkhus and said: 'O Bhikkhus, let those of the Bhikkhus who have never seen the Tâvatimsa gods, gaze upon this company of the Likkhavis, behold this company of the Likkhavis, compare this company of the Likkhavis, even as a company of Tâvatimsa gods!'

https://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/sbe17/sbe17044.htm
"

https://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_ ... atimsa.htm

"

Tāvatimsa

The second of the six deva-worlds, the first being the Cātummahārājika world. Tāvatimsa stands at the top of Mount Sineru (or Sudassana). Sakka is king of both worlds, but lives in Tāvatimsa. Originally it was the abode of the Asuras; but when Māgha was born as Sakka and dwelt with his companions in Tāvatimsa he disliked the idea of sharing his realm with the Asuras, and, having made them intoxicated, he hurled them down to the foot of Sineru, where the Asurabhavana was later established.

The chief difference between these two worlds seems to have been that the Pāricchattaka tree grew in Tāvatimsa, and the Cittapātali tree in Asurabhavana. In order that the Asuras should not enter Tāvatimsa, Sakka had five walls built around it, and these were guarded by Nāgas, Supannas, Kumbhandas, Yakkhas and Cātummahārājika devas (J.i.201ff; also DhA.i.272f). The entrance to Tāvatimsa was by way of the Cittakūtadvārakotthaka, on either side of which statues of Indra (Indapatimā) kept guard (J.vi.97). The whole kingdom was ten thousand leagues in extent (DhA.i.273), and contained more than one thousand pāsādas (J.vi.279). The chief features of Tāvatimsa were its parks - the Phārusaka, Cittalatā, Missaka and Nandana - the Vejayantapāsāda, the Pāricchatta tree, the elephant-king Erāvana and the Assembly-hall Sudhammā (J.vi.278; MA.i.183; cp. Mtu.i.32). Mention is also made of a park called Nandā (J.i.204). Besides the Pāricchataka (or Pārijāta) flower, which is described as a Kovilāra (A.iv.117), the divine Kakkāru flower also grew in Tāvatimsa (J.iii.87). In the Cittalatāvana grows the āsāvatī creeper, which blossoms once in a thousand years (J.iii.250f).

It is the custom of all Buddhas to spend the vassa following the performance of the Yamakapātihāriya, in Tāvatimsa. Gotama Buddha went there to preach the Abhidhamma to his mother, born there as a devaputta. The distance of sixty-eight thousand leagues from the earth to Tāvatimsa he covered in three strides, placing his foot once on Yugandhara and again on Sineru.

The Buddha spent three months in Tāvatimsa, preaching all the time, seated on Sakka's throne, the Pandukambalasilāsana, at the foot of the Pāricchattaka tree. Eighty crores of devas attained to a knowledge of the truth. This was in the seventh year after his Enlightenment (J.iv.265; DhA.iii.216f; BuA. p.3). It seems to have been the frequent custom of ascetics, possessed of iddhi-power, to spend the afternoon in Tāvatimsa (E.g., Nārada, J.vi.392; and Kāladevala, J.i.54).

Moggallāna paid numerous visits to Tāvatimsa, where he learnt from those dwelling there stories of their past deeds, that he might repeat them to men on earth for their edification (VvA. p.4).

The Jātaka Commentary mentions several human beings who were invited by Sakka, and who were conveyed to Tāvatimsa - e.g. Nimi, Guttila, Mandhātā and the queen Sīlavatī. Mandhātā reigned as co-ruler of Tāvatimsa during the life period of thirty-six Sakkas, sixty thousand years (J.ii.312). The inhabitants of Tāvatimsa are thirty-three in number, and they regularly meet in the Sudhammā Hall. (See Sudhammā for details). A description of such an assembly is found in the Janavasabha Sutta. The Cātummahārājika Devas (q.v.) are present to act as guards. Inhabitants of other deva- and brahma-worlds seemed sometimes to have been present as guests - e.g. the Brahmā Sanankumāra, who came in the guise of Pañcasikha. From the description given in the sutta, all the inhabitants of Tāvatimsa seem to have been followers of the Buddha, deeply devoted to his teachings (D.ii.207ff). Their chief place of offering was the Cūlāmanicetiya, in which Sakka deposited the hair of Prince Siddhattha, cut off by him when he renounced the world and put on the garments of a recluse on the banks of the Nerañjarā (J.i.65). Later, Sakka deposited here also the eye-tooth of the Buddha, which Dona hid in his turban, hoping to keep it for himself (DA.ii.609; Bu.xxviii.6, 10).

The gods of Tāvatimsa sometimes come to earth to take part in human festivities (J.iii.87). Thus Sakka, Vissakamma and Mātali are mentioned as having visited the earth on various occasions. Mention is also made of goddesses from Tāvatimsa coming to bathe in the Anotatta and then spending the rest of the day on the Manosilātala (J.v.392).

The capital city of Tāvatimsa was Masakkasāra (Ibid., p.400). The average age of an inhabitant of Tāvatimsa is thirty million years, reckoned by human computation. Each day in Tāvatimsa is equal in time to one hundred years on earth (DhA.i.364). The gods of Tāvatimsa are most handsome; the Licchavis, among earth-dwellers, are compared to them (DhA.iii.280). The stature of some of the Tāvatimsa dwellers is three-quarters of a league; their undergarment is a robe of twelve leagues and their upper garment also a robe of twelve leagues. They live in mansions of gold, thirty leagues in extent (Ibid., p.8). The Commentaries (E.g., SA.i.23; AA.i.377) say that Tāvatimsa was named after Magha and his thirty-two companions, who were born there as a result of their good deeds in Macalagāma. Whether the number of the chief inhabitants of this world always remained at thirty-three, it is impossible to say, though some passages, e.g. in the Janavasabha Sutta, lead us to suppose so.

Sometimes, as in the case of Nandiya, who built the great monastery at Isipatana, a mansion would appear in Tāvatimsa, when an earth-dweller did a good deed capable of obtaining for him birth in this deva-world; but this mansion would remain unoccupied till his human life came to an end (DhA.iii.291).

There were evidently no female devas among the Thirty-three. Both Māyā and Gopikā became devaputtas when born in Tāvatimsa. The women there were probably the attendants of the devas. (But see, e.g., Jālini and the various stories of VvA).

There were many others besides the Thirty-three who had their abode in Tāvatimsa. Each deva had numerous retinues of attendants, and the dove-footed (kaktgapādiniyo) nymphs (accharā) of Tāvatimsa are famous in literature for their delicate beauty. The sight of these made Nanda, when escorted by the Buddha to Tāvatimsa, renounce his love for Janapadakalyānī Nandā (J.ii.92; Ud.iii.2).

The people of Jambudīpa excelled the devas of Tāvatimsa in courage, mindfulness and piety (A.iv.396). Among the great achievements of Asadisakumāra was the shooting of an arrow as far as Tāvatimsa (J.ii.89).

Tāvatimsa was also known as Tidasa and Tidiva (q.v.).
"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tr%C4%81y ... %83%C5%9Ba

"
In Mahayana literature, Trāyastriṃśa is composed of thirty-three levels. These are enumerated in the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna Sūtra. The original Sanskrit names occasionally vary between extant Sanskrit manuscripts and Chinese texts.[5]

Sudharmanivāsinī (善法堂天)
Tuṅganivāsinī (山峯天)
Śikharanivāsinī (山頂天)
Sudarśananivāsinī (善見城天)
Rasthanivāsinī (鉢私地天)
Koṭaranivāsinī (倶吒天)
Caitrarathanivāsinī (雑殿天)
Nandananivāsinī (歓喜園天)
Vaibhrājanivāsinī (光明天)
Pāriyātrakanivāsinī (波利耶多天)
Āmiśrataṭanivāsinī (離険岸天)
Kuñjarataṭanivāsinī (谷崖岸天)
Maṇigarbhānivāsinī (摩尼蔵天)
Āvartacarā (旋行天)
Tapanīyagṛhā (金殿天)
Mālācchāyā (鬘影天)
Nimnonnatācāriṇī (柔軟天)
Nānābhaktavicitrāśarīrā (雑荘厳天)
Yogavahā (如意天)
Sūkṣmacarā (微細行天)
Saṃhṛṣṭagītadhvanyabhiratā (歌音喜楽天)
Tejomālinī (威徳輪天)
Candrāyatanacarā / Candrāyaṇacarā (月行天)
Yamanaśālā (閻摩那娑羅天)
Nimeṣonmeṣagatī (速行天)
Prabalecchācchāyāśarīrā / Pramāṇecchāśarīrā / Pavanecchācchāyā / Pravaṇecchāśarīreṣu (影照天)
Maṇicīrā / Śalecarāḥ (智慧行天)
Nikāyasabhāginī (衆分天)
"

These 33 correspond with my 33 re-named threads and map areas on this site:

In no particular order, they are

Pó

1. Bane
2. Bhaal
3. Myrkul
4. Zariel
5. Iuz
6. Loviatar
7. Graz'zt
8. Tharizdun
9. Zon-Kuthon
10. Warduke
11. Chemosh
12. Tibalt
13. Ilxendren
14. Talona
15. Zuggtmoy
16. Morgion
17. Diirinka
18. Lord Soth
19. Belzenlok
20. Takhisis
21. Lathander
22. Lolth
23. Incabulos
24. Talos
25. Yeenoghu
26. Blibdoolpoolp
27. Iggwilv
28. Hruggek
29. Zaltec
30. Minthara
31. Vlaakith
32. Ravanna
33. Malar

The Qur'an is one of the best religious scriptures, and one of the most maligned by propaganda. Buddhism is one of the worst, and is propped up as the only acceptable religion by some people who want to leave Christianity, completely unaware of how anti-human and also clownishly despicable it is in so many ways, and the Qur'an comes nowhere near as silly or horrible as the Bible, Buddhist Suttas, or the Hindu Puranas in silliness or being abhorrent, and even the worst Islamic themed writing, which seems to be imitation of other things from converts who brought their ideas from J*d**sm, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Puranic Hinduism, among other things and cultural folk tales from Greco-Roman culture and other local things from the Newly Muslim World and surroundings, are in the Hadiths, and even the worst and most ridiculous and obnoxious of those seem far less heinous as anything in the writings of the J people, Buddhists, and Hindus or other people who are now called "Pagans".

We live in an upside down world. The Qur'an is quite straightforward seeming and logical, but instead Buddhism is put up as supposedly logical, with stories like this:

https://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.p ... ph2emmvaqw

"
SN 19.1 Aṭṭhi Sutta. A Skeleton.
Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato

While walking for alms down Vulture’s Peak, Venerable Moggallāna smiled at something invisible. Later, he told the Buddha it was a skeleton flying through the air, being pecked at by vultures. The Buddha confirmed that the man he had seen had been a butcher in his past life
https://suttacentral.net/sn19.1/

So i have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Now at that time Venerable Lakkhaṇa and Venerable Mahāmoggallāna were staying on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain. Then Mahāmoggallāna robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to Lakkhaṇa and said to him: “Come, Reverend Lakkhaṇa, let’s enter Rājagaha for alms.” “Yes, reverend,” Lakkhaṇa replied. As Mahāmoggallāna was descending from Vulture’s Peak Mountain he smiled at a certain spot. So Lakkhaṇa said to Mahāmoggallāna: “What is the cause, Reverend Moggallāna, what is the reason you smiled?” “Reverend Lakkhaṇa, it’s the wrong time for this question. Ask me when we’re in the Buddha’s presence.”

Then Lakkhaṇa and Mahāmoggallāna wandered for alms in Rājagaha. After the meal, on their return from alms-round, they went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. Lakkhaṇa said to Mahāmoggallāna: “Just now, as Mahāmoggallāna was descending from Vulture’s Peak Mountain he smiled at a certain spot. What is the cause, Reverend Moggallāna, what is the reason you smiled?”

“Just now, reverend, as I was descending from Vulture’s Peak Mountain I saw a skeleton flying through the air. Vultures, crows, and hawks kept chasing it, pecking and clawing as it screeched in pain. It occurred to me: ‘It’s incredible, it’s amazing! That there can be such a sentient being, such an entity, such an incarnation!’”

Then the Buddha said to the mendicants: “Mendicants, there are disciples who live full of vision and knowledge, since a disciple knows, sees, and witnesses such a thing. Formerly, I too saw that being, but I did not speak of it. For if I had spoken of it others would not have believed me, which would be for their lasting harm and suffering. That being used to be a cattle butcher right here in Rājagaha. As a result of that deed he burned in hell for many years, many hundreds, many thousands, many hundreds of thousands of years. Now he experiences the residual result of that deed in such an incarnation.”

(All these discourses in SN 19 should be expanded like this.)

The other Suttas include:
..."I saw a piece of meat flying through the air."... “That being used to be a cattle butcher right here in Rājagaha. …”

... "I saw a piece of flesh flying through the air." ... "That being used to be a bird hunter right here in Rājagaha. …”

... "I saw a man with testicles as big as pots flying through the air" ... "That being used to be a corrupt official right here in Rājagaha. …”

... "I saw a man sunk over his head in a sewer. …” … “That being used to be an adulterer right here in Rājagaha. …”

... "I saw a scorched woman, sooty and sweaty, flying through the air" ... "That woman used to be the king of Kaliṅga’s chief queen. She was of jealous nature, and poured a brazier of hot coals over her co-wife. …"

... "I saw a monk flying through the air. His outer robe, bowl, belt, and body were burning, blazing, and glowing as he screamed in pain. …” … “That monk used to be a bad monk in the time of Buddha Kassapa’s dispensation. …”

“I saw a nun flying through the air. Her outer robe was burning …” … “She used to be a bad nun …”

Comments from Bhikkhu Bodhi.

The series of suttas included in this saṃyutta also occurs at Vin III 104-8. https://suttacentral.net/pli-tv-bu-vb-p ... mali#sc209

Spk: The Venerable Lakkhaṇa, a great disciple, had been one of the thousand jaṭila ascetics who received higher ordination by the “Come, bhikkhu” utterance (see Vin I 32-34 https://suttacentral.net/pli-tv-bu-vb-p ... hmali#sc87). He attained arahantship at the end of the Discourse on Burning (SN 35.28). Since he possessed a Brahmā-like body that was endowed with auspicious marks (lakkhaṇasampanna), perfect in all respects, he was called “Lakkhaṇa.”

Then, as he was coming down from Mount Vulture Peak, the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna displayed a smile in a certain place.

Spk: The reason for Moggallāna’s smile, as is mentioned in the text below, is that he saw a being reborn in the world of ghosts whose body was a skeleton. Having seen such a form of individual existence, he should have felt compassion, so why did he display a smile? Because he recollected his own success in gaining release from the prospect of such forms of rebirth and the success of the Buddha-knowledge; for the Buddhas teach such things through their own direct cognition (paccakkhaṃ katvā) and have thoroughly penetrated the element of phenomena (suppaṭividdhā buddhānaṃ dhammadhātu).

“Here, friend, as I was coming down from Mount Vulture Peak, I saw a skeleton moving through the air. Vultures, crows, and hawks, following it in hot pursuit, were pecking at it between the ribs, stabbing it, and tearing it apart while it uttered cries of pain.

I follow Be: vitudenti vitacchenti virājenti. Se reads vitudanti only, while Ee has vitacchenti vibhajenti.
Spk comments only on vitudenti: “They ran and moved here and there, piercing him again and again with their metal beaks as sharp as sword blades.”
According to Spk, the vultures, etc., were actually yakkhas (yakkhagijjhā, yakkhakākā, yakkhakulalā); for such a form does not come into the visual range of natural vultures, etc.

It occurred to me: ‘It is wonderful, indeed! It is amazing, indeed! That there could be such a being, that there could be such a spirit, that there could be such a form of individual existence!’”

Evarūpo pi nāma satto bhavissati evarūpo pi nāma yakkho bhavissati evarūpo pi nāma attabhāvapaṭilābho bhavissati.
Spk: In saying this Moggallāna shows his sense of urgency in the Dhamma, arisen out of compassion for such beings.

The expression attabhāvapaṭilābho, which literally means “acquisition of selfhood,” is used idiomatically to denote a concrete form of individual identity. Attabhāva sometimes occurs in a more restricted sense with reference to the physical body, for instance at Ud 54,17-19.

“That being, bhikkhus, used to be a cattle butcher in this same Rājagaha. Having been tormented in hell for many years, for many hundreds of years, for many thousands of years, for many hundreds of thousands of years as a result of that kamma, as a residual result of that same kamma he is experiencing such a form of individual existence.”

Spk: As a residual result of that same kamma (tass’ eva kammassa vipākāvasesena): of that “kamma (to be experienced) in subsequent lives” (aparāpariyakamma) accumulated by different volitions. For the rebirth in hell is produced by a certain volition, and when its result is exhausted rebirth is produced among the ghosts, etc., having as its object the residue of that kamma or the sign of the kamma (see CMA 5:35-38). https://store.pariyatti.org/Comprehensi ... _4362.html
Therefore, because that rebirth comes about through correspondence of kamma or correspondence of object (kammasabhāgatāya ārammaṇasabhāgatāya vā), it is called “a residual result of that same kamma.” It is said that at the time he passed away from hell, a heap of flesh-less cows’ bones became the sign (i.e., the object of the last conscious process, which then becomes the object of the rebirth-consciousness). Thus he became a ghost (in the form of) a skeleton, as if making manifest to the wise the hidden kamma.

There are plenty of parallels in the Agamas, preserved in Chinese, but currently no translations on Sutta Central. https://suttacentral.net/sn19.1
"

The response from unskeptical, cultish, brainwashed sycophants:

"
Many thanks for these, Mike. These are very strong teachings, and I remember being quite surprised by this little set when I first read through the SN. It's all the more shocking because we probably know people whose conduct is not too different from that which is being criticised here, and I guess that few of us could say that we were completely beyond such actions, were circumstances to change.

Before I read Bhikkhu Bodhi's comments, I was puzzled by Ven. Mogallana's smile. Schadenfreude being extremely unlikely, recollection of his own success doesn't seem to be much more credible, given that the spur to that success would probably have included Mogallana's prior understanding of such beings and states of woe. I think it is likely that the smile is the dramatic means of registering the fact that one monk can see a being that another cannot, and that the Buddha himself has both seen the being and understood its kammic significance.

The phrase translating the Buddha's reference to this fact is puzzling:

there are disciples who live full of vision and knowledge, since a disciple knows, sees, and witnesses such a thing.

Does this mean that one is only truly a disciple when one knows, sees, and witnesses such things? Apparently not, as Venerable Lakkhana is also a disciple (the term is merely savaka) and yet does not know and see. Does it mean that because the disciple Mogallana knows, then one can safely say that disciples include those with such powers and insight (i.e. the Buddha is rejoicing in the fact that his Sangha contains some monks who have attained that level)? Bhikkhu Bodhi renders this:

there are disciples who dwell having become vision, having become knowledge, in that a disciple can know, see, and witness such a sight



This doesn't seem to help much, and adds an intriguing extra layer of meaning. The disciples have become vision and knowledge, as opposed to living full of them. That seems to signify a big difference in translations.

A final point on the Buddha not previously speaking about his witnessing the being, because of the disbelief with which others would have met his claim being harmful to them. I can't remember any other examples of this, but it is really interesting. Is it, I wonder, that claiming the Buddha to be mistaken or lying involves a more serious form of dark kamma than merely missing out on his report (which is merely an omitted experience, and therefore blameless)? Or is it that disbelief in weird apparitions would have led listeners to doubt some more essential teachings? Presumably, the same did not apply to the many other things that the Buddha taught and which were not immediately believed by those who heard.
"

A reply from the likely Post-Christian Post-Western Refugee "Mike":

"
In these suttas Mahāmoggallāna sees a particular being in a bad destination, and the Buddha comments on the past kamma of the being:

“Just now, as Mahāmoggallāna was descending from Vulture’s Peak Mountain he smiled at a certain spot. What is the cause, Reverend Moggallāna, what is the reason you smiled?”

“Just now, reverend, as I was descending from Vulture’s Peak Mountain I saw a skeleton flying through the air. Vultures, crows, and hawks kept chasing it, pecking and clawing as it screeched in pain. It occurred to me: ‘It’s incredible, it’s amazing! That there can be such a sentient being, such an entity, such an incarnation!’”

Then the Buddha said to the mendicants: “Mendicants, there are disciples who live full of vision and knowledge, since a disciple knows, sees, and witnesses such a thing. Formerly, I too saw that being, but I did not speak of it. For if I had spoken of it others would not have believed me, which would be for their lasting harm and suffering. That being used to be a cattle butcher right here in Rājagaha. As a result of that deed he burned in hell for many years, many hundreds, many thousands, many hundreds of thousands of years. Now he experiences the residual result of that deed in such an incarnation.”

The commentary makes this observation:

Spk: The reason for Moggallāna’s smile, as is mentioned in the text below, is that he saw a being reborn in the world of ghosts whose body was a skeleton. Having seen such a form of individual existence, he should have felt compassion, so why did he display a smile? Because he recollected his own success in gaining release from the prospect of such forms of rebirth and the success of the Buddha-knowledge; for the Buddhas teach such things through their own direct cognition (paccakkhaṃ katvā) and have thoroughly penetrated the element of phenomena (suppaṭividdhā buddhānaṃ dhammadhātu).

It might be useful to compare this passage from MN 36 about the Buddha's awakening:

When my mind had immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, spotless, rid of taints, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—I extended it toward knowledge of the death and rebirth of sentient beings. With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, I saw sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. I understood how sentient beings are reborn according to their deeds. This was the second knowledge, which I achieved in the middle watch of the night. Ignorance was destroyed and knowledge arose; darkness was destroyed and light arose, as happens for a meditator who is diligent, keen, and resolute. But even such pleasant feeling did not occupy my mind.

https://suttacentral.net/mn36/en/sujato#nya40
"

Nothing about how unjust and ridiculous and unbelievable and pointless the whole dumb story is, but if a Muslim coughed or sneezed they would be beaten to death over it, and it amounts to double standards, even worse than double standards, since the Muslims aren't even telling stories this mad for the most part, so just flat out prejudicial hatred.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecuti ... in_Myanmar

https://direct.mit.edu/isec/article-abs ... m=fulltext