The mainstream, legacy news organizations in the United States have bent the knee to oligarchy, fascism, and Zionism. They’re owned by tech bros, Trumpists, genocide deniers, and right wing corporations—not necessarily separate categories. There are no more “liberal” mainstream news outlets.

If you are still relying on CNN, The New York Times, or the Washington Post for your news, you are not getting either the whole truth or in some cases, even a partial truth. To put it bluntly, you don’t know what’s happening.

Here are some places you can get actual news. This list is by no means comprehensive. And some other time, I’ll post a list of journalists and commentators reporting on more specific issues. But this is a start.

If you’re already an imbiber of the many offerings of alt journalism, please help everyone out by adding your own favorite outlets and journalists in the comments. Thank you!

with infinite love,
Shambhavi

P.S. According to a recent Pew Foundation report, 38% of Americans regularly get their news from social media.

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What mainstream should be

These aren’t the most radical solutions, but you can count on them for a higher percentage of actual facts and a more comprehensive view.

Aaron Parnas

A 24 y.o. journalist phenom who reports many times a day, mainly on U.S. politics. Totally free or support with a subscription.

The Parnas Perspective on Substack - news + long form articles and interviews
Aaron Parnas on Tiktok - Short video reports on what’s happening multiple times a day

Al Jazeera

Pretty much the only moderately progressive mainstream news outlet left. Based in Doha, Qatar. 24-hour a day news cycle. Live news free on their website.

Al-Jazeera

Zeteo

Founded by Mehdi Hasan, former MSNBC host; now uses Substack to deliver news and commentary from an array of high-profile journalists. Some free content, but you’ll need to subscribe to get it all.

Zeteo

Moving left . . .

More progressive outlets with daily commentary on the U.S. news and a big dose of heart.

The Left Hook with Wajahat Ali

Hot takes multiple times a day, mostly on U.S. current events.

The Left Hook

The Dam Digest

Danielle Moodie, outspoken former Democratic strategist, reports several times a day on U.S. politics mostly in dialogue with other commentators, including Wajahat Ali. Free or by subscription.

The Dam Digest

More radical reporting

Democracy Now

Oldie but goldie daily, global news show hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan González. Available wherever podcasts are available and on all social media.

Democracynow.org

The Electronic Intifada

Since 2001, the place to get accurate news about what’s happening in Palestine. Hosted by Ali Abhunimah, Nora Barrows-Friedman, Asa Winstanley, and Jon Elmer. E.I. issues a daily news update, publishes investigative reporting on the genocide in Gaza, foregrounds Palestinian voices and analyses, and hosts a live-stream every Thursday morning at 9 am Pacific.

The Electronic Intifada

Dropsite News

Independent news on global politics and war. Founded by veteran investigative journalists Ryan Grim, Jeremy Scahill, and Nausicaa Renner.

Dropsite News

Breakthrough News

A nonprofit media and educational organization dedicated to independent, fact-based reporting and commentary on issues affecting global movements for social justice. Many of their journalists are young and bring perspectives and expertise from different parts of the world.

BT Newsroom on Instagram

Breakthrough News website

Kindred 108 is 100% supported by readers like you. If you benefit from the offerings here, please consider subscribing. Thank you!

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Not quite ready to fire up a paid subscription, but want to show your appreciation?

Please join Shambhavi and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.

I haven’t done a list in a long time. These lists are called “andas” because they are eclectic zones that encourage creativity and self- and collective-expression. “Anda” means “egg” in Sanskrit. It’s used specifically in the Trika tradtion to mean a zone of creative fecundity.

Resources for navigating fascism and collapse in the U.S.

1. Sierra Seeds: Boost your seed literacy and rematriate your backyard and community plot. Indigenous woman-owned seed mentorship and activism.

   Also listen to Seeds, Grief, and Memory with Rowen White, a podcast with Sierra Seeds’ leading light.

2. Buy organic seeds. Living Seed Company for crops and flowers. True Leaf Market for those with an emphasis on microgreens and sprouting seeds.

3. Topple the Nerd Reich. If you want to learn to build your own internet, or an A.I. that’s not evil, or how to code for free, or how to keep yourself safe at a protest, or what to do if you are being cyber-stalked, and much more, check out Liz Howard’s Liz the Dev and the Multiverse School. Also find them on IG.

4. Build activist movements and communities

   • Narrative Initiative - Supports activists and social justice movements to build leadership, develop communications strategies, and make change with compelling narratives.

   • Stimpunks - Participatory, emancipatory, activist research + mutual aid and human-centered learning for neurodivergent and disabled people

   • Activist Handbook - the wikipedia for campaigners and grassroots organizers

   • (Podcast) Movement Memos: An ongoing call to action for movement work and mutual aid efforts around the country with Kelly Hayes

5. Reduce your taxes legally. Nuff said.

6. Mutual Aid - it’s not just a buzzword. Here are some resources.

   • How to Create a Mutual Aid Network.

   • Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next) by Dean Spade

   • Let This Radicalize You: Organizing and the Revolution of Reciprocal Care by Kelly Hayes and Miriame Kaba

   • Also check out your micro-local Buy Nothing Club. You can find a network in your area by using the stand-alone app or on Facebook. These neighborhood-based networks only allow giving and receiving stuff for free. They also host and respond to calls for emergency food and supplies—like when people run out of money before the next paycheck.

7. And you may have wondered, Is Self-Care an Act of Resistance?

8. Reading suggestions

   • All About Love by bell hooks

   • Remaking Radicalism: A Grassroots Documentary Reader of the United States, 1973-2001 edited by Dan Berger and Emily K. Hobson

   • Abolition Democracy: Beyond Empire, Prisons, and Torture by Angela Davis

   Note: The last two titles are either wildly more expensive or unavailable in paperback on bookshop.org. Hence the Amazon links.

9. Esoteric shit - I love my medicine cabinet. It’s full of things with mysterious labels and in mysterious forms such as resins, distillations, and hand-rolled herbal pills. So here’s some esoteric shit to get you started and help you through.

   • Shilajit - A tar exudate that comes from rocks in the Himalayas. Part of the Ayurvedic pharmacopeia. Strengthening. Scrapes toxins and is generally rejuvenative for all three doshas in small doses. How to take: get a chopstick and dip the tip into the tar no more than a quarter inch deep. Mix with water and drink 1x per day. Note: Will increase heat (pitta) at higher dose. Also increases the production of testosterone, so really, keep your dose small. It’s some powerful, esoteric shit!

   • Clary Sage essential oil - Clears the mind channels and relaxes at the same time. Get this brand only. Other brands don’t have quite the same effects.

   • Tsewang Dzinpa Long Life Pills - Concentrated blessings and millions of mantras ritually formed into pills from Garchen Rinpoche and other Kagyu lineage holders. Eat them at sunrise while facing East and with a reverential feeling.

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Essential self-care according to moi

• Keep your Vitamin D levels up. Essential for good sleep, good mind, and good energy.

• Go to sleep by 10 pm so that your organs have time to rejuvenate, and you can benefit from getting up with the sun.

• Learn some kind of spiritual practice and do it daily. Connect with source.

• Eat organic and eat with people you love as frequently as possible.

• Take time to regularly unplug from the internet and tv. Even a half day a week is beneficial.

• Be silly. Express joy. Laugh with your whole body.

And here’s my #1 self-care tip!

Be of service to others.

Helping others, serving others, is the nourishment. You will be happier and healthier if you give what you have to give (and don’t give what you don’t have to give). Small offerings made in the texture of everyday life will sustain you in surprising ways.

Don’t sit around feeling helpless and discouraged because you can’t have a big impact.

• Give a smile, a hug, a helping hand.

• Engage strangers in real conversations about how they are coping.

• Give what you have to give — money, skills, time, and accept help when you need it.

• Build community and networks of mutual aid and care at every opportunity.

With infinite love and solidarity always,
Shambhavi

Kindred 108 is 99% free and 100% supported by readers like you. If you benefit from the offerings here, please consider subscribing. Thank you!

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Not quite ready to fire up a paid subscription, but want to show your appreciation?

Please join Shambhavi and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.

Art celebrates, contemplates, challenges, and commemorates. In times of tragedy, art precipitates wisdom, and even enjoyment, out of horror. Or maybe our indestructible capacity to express and appreciate the creative force of life is the wisdom in horror.

Since October 7, 2023—the start of this intense phase of genocide and ethnic cleansing in Palestine—I’ve been introduced to many Palestinian visual artists, poets, dancers, and musicians.

Recently, I saw this photograph of a Palestinian girl riding a makeshift swing by the award-winning Palestinian photographer, Mahmoud Abu Hamda from Khan Yunis.

Mahmoud’s photo sparked me to remember some of the photography that has been formative in my life and also some of the powerful photos that have come out of Gaza in the past 14 months. So I thought I’d share a few of these with you.

Weegee, my first love

My parents were visual artists, and our home was full of art books. Among these was a first edition of Naked City by the New York City street photographer Weegee (Arthur Fellig).

The photographs in Naked City are black and white records of 1940’s New York City street crime and criminals, of bar life, of the impoverished and marginalized, of crowds and concerts and crowded tenements, and always of faces. Weegee was fascinated by the endless play of human expressiveness as it met the endlessly varied life of a metropolis.

From a very early age, I poured over this book hundreds of times. Along with the music of Woody Guthrie and Nina Simone, it was the most influential art experience of my childhood.

And here’s a compilation of some of Weegee’s most iconic photos.

Kenro Izu

Kenro Izu is a Japanese photographer living in the U.S. I first encountered his work at a show in Europe. The gallery was purposely made dim, nearly dark, so that the astonishing light in his photographs could become more visible. This is the most perfect photograph of Mount Kailash I’ve ever seen.

Explore more Kenro Izu.

Garry Winogrand

Weegee primed me to love another street photographer, Garry Winogrand. His black and white images of 20th-century life are full of movement, chaos, and, well, attitude. A single image often seems to capture many colliding points of view.

Sometimes I feel like…the world is a place I bought a ticket to…It’s a big show for me, as if it wouldn’t happen if I wasn’t there with a camera.

—Garry Winogrand

See a collection of Gary Winogrand’s photos.

Diane Arbus

I identify with the camera eye of Diane Arbus and its profound engagement with the astonishing phenomenon of human expressivity and our unlikely (but not unlikable) weirdness. She makes us see the unseen and denormalize the “normal.”

MoMA collection of 84 photos by Diane Arbus.

Images from Gaza

I don’t know all of the photographers who took these images, but they are just a few of the hundreds of photos from Gaza since October 7 that have imprinted themselves in my heart.

Feel free to share or link to photographs that have been important to you.

with infinite love,

Shambhavi

Not quite ready to fire up a paid subscription, but want to show your appreciation?

Please join Shambhavi and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.

Anyone who claims to know me knows I love parkour. I love to watch it, that is. Actually doing it will have to wait until another life and a different body.

Recently-ish, more dance-like forms of parkour, including something called “fluid parkour,” have been popping up on the interwebs. And in my armchair travels, I’ve also enjoyed many other dance performances that take place outside in city streets and in other public environments.

Some of these dances are improvised. Others are choreographed. Watch the final “dancer” in this lineup. You won’t regret it. Enjoy!

Matt McCreary - @matt_mccreary1

Matt McCreary is an amazingly versatile mover. From more traditional parkour to hybrids of parkour and dance and free running and, well, falling. The whole world is his dance partner. Check out his Instagram and YouTube to catch the whole range of his creative genius, including dances on hay bales and in trees.

Zoï Tatopoulos: We Will Find It

Zoi Tatopoulos, also known as “ztato,” is a director and choreographer best known for her self-described “extra-terrestrial” approach to creative direction and movement choreography. Get to know her on Instagram.

We Will Find It is one of my favorite pieces of dance of the past several years.

DV8/ Lloyd Newson: Cost of Living

Lloyd Newson is a director, dancer, and choreographer. His work is subtle yet in-your-face and challenges some of our most deeply held barriers to intimacy with others. Find more here. This will leave you speechless.

Yvonne Smink: Parisian early morning metro travels

Yvonne Smink is a pole dancer, which is not a dance form I normally jibe with. But this. . . Moving on a moving train. Just feel it.

And this? I’m not even sure what this is. But it makes me unreasonably happy. Henry Cabelus @xpogohenry

Mile High Pogo in NYC w/Sinatra, of course

Not quite ready to fire up a paid subscription, but want to show your appreciation?

Please join Shambhavi and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.

In my early days as a rabble rouser, I deeply absorbed the truth and heart of labor organizer Rose Schneiderman’s iconic proclamation. She spoke these words in the wake of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911. The fire killed 146 workers in the New York City factory, mostly women and children. Schneiderman’s words have inspired generation after generation of women’s rights and human rights activists around the world.

Schneiderman’s sentiments are beautifully echoed by Gazan poet, Mosab Abu Toha.

In honor of all of the activists, poets, workers, and oppressed people everywhere, I’m sharing some of the “roses” that have accompanied me over the years and given me joy and solace in a world that so often brings difficulties and pain.

with infinite love,
Shambhavi

Music

Lou Harrison, La Koro Sutro

During the early ‘90s, I attended an M.F.A. program in creative writing at Mills College in Oakland, California. The creative writing program was not famous, but the Center for Contemporary Music at Mills was the premier spot internationally to study and create work in electroacoustic and computer music. I can’t adequately describe the profound impact many of the composers and musicians who were in residence at CCM had on me. But here’s one of them.

Lou Harrison recorded La Koro Sutro in 1988, and I’ve been listening for more than thirty years.

Dance

Lucinda Childs, Dance

I saw Lucinda Childs’ Dance in NYC when it was first performed in 1979. I watch a lot of dance to this day, but I can’t say that any other live performance has ever affected me as much as this one. I still vividly recall the absolutely visceral thrill of seeing it for the first time. To me, it’s the pure joy of dance pared down to its essentials and revealed.

The piece is a collaboration with the composer Philip Glass and visual artist Sol Lewitt. The live dancers mingle with dancers on video, both life-sized and larger, projected onto scrim. In the live performance, the music is very loud and immersive. So turn it up if you want to get more of the effect!

And here’s a link to another Anda post with some very recent dance I’ve loved.

Painting

Richard Diebenkorn, Ocean Park

Wayne Thiebaud, San Francisco West Side Ridge

I was introduced to Diebenkorn by my best friend in college. She was also a painter. Diebenkorn was part of a group of California artists, including another favorite, Wayne Thiebaud, who painted with a particularly California palette of colors and whose art reflected their love-affair with California landscapes, both natural and urban.

Diebenkorn’s Ocean Park series is inspired by the Southern California coast.

Here are links to two more posts on K108 that feature contemporary visual artists, designers, and more.

Visual Magic
Anda #13 - April 27, 2024

Poetry

June Jordan, Moving towards Home

June Jordan was a prolific poet and a professor at U.C. Berkeley when I was a student there. I never took one of her classes. My bad.

A life-long activist, Jordan championed the use of Black English in poetry and other literary productions. She wrote often about Palestine and the parallels between the occupation and South African apartheid.

Jordan visited Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon after the massacres in 1982 and returned to Lebanon after Israel’s massacre of refugees at a UN camp in 1996. Her poem, Moving towards Home, could have, unfortunately, been written today.

Moving towards Home

“Where is Abu Fadi,” she wailed.
“Who will bring me my loved one?”
      The New York Times, 9/20/82

I do not wish to speak about the bulldozer and the
red dirt
not quite covering all of the arms and legs
Nor do I wish to speak about the nightlong screams
that reached
the observation posts where soldiers lounged about
Nor do I wish to speak about the woman who shoved her baby
into the stranger’s hands before she was led away
Nor do I wish to speak about the father whose sons
were shot
through the head while they slit his own throat before
the eyes
of his wife
Nor do I wish to speak about the army that lit continuous
flares into the darkness so that others could see
the backs of their victims lined against the wall
Nor do I wish to speak about the piled up bodies and
the stench
that will not float
Nor do I wish to speak about the nurse again and
again raped
before they murdered her on the hospital floor
Nor do I wish to speak about the rattling bullets that
did not
halt on that keening trajectory
Nor do I wish to speak about the pounding on the
doors and
the breaking of windows and the hauling of families into
the world of the dead
I do not wish to speak about the bulldozer and the
red dirt
not quite covering all of the arms and legs
because I do not wish to speak about unspeakable events
that must follow from those who dare
“to purify” a people
those who dare
“to exterminate” a people

those who dare
to describe human beings as “beasts with two legs”
those who dare
“to mop up”
“to tighten the noose”
“to step up the military pressure”
“to ring around” civilian streets with tanks
those who dare
to close the universities
to abolish the press
to kill the elected representatives
of the people who refuse to be purified
those are the ones from whom we must redeem
the words of our beginning

because I need to speak about home
I need to speak about living room
where the land is not bullied and beaten into
a tombstone
I need to speak about living room
where the talk will take place in my language
I need to speak about living room
where my children will grow without horror
I need to speak about living room where the men
of my family between the ages of six and sixty-five
are not
marched into a roundup that leads to the grave
I need to talk about living room
where I can sit without grief without wailing aloud
for my loved ones
where I must not ask where is Abu Fadi
because he will be there beside me
I need to talk about living room
because I need to talk about home

I was born a Black woman
and now
I am become a Palestinian
against the relentless laughter of evil
there is less and less living room
and where are my loved ones?

It is time to make our way home.


June Jordan, “Moving Toward Home,” in Living Room: New Poems by June Jordan (New York: Thunder's  Mouth Press, 1993) and reprinted in Directed by Desire: The Collected Poems of June Jordan (Port Townsend, WA: Copper Canyon Press, 2007)

Further exploration from K108: Poems from Palestine will introduce you to some newer and newish Palestinian poets.

Not quite ready to fire up a paid subscription, but want to show your appreciation?

Please join Shambhavi and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.

We have many ways to participate in efforts to stop the genocide in Gaza and support the growing global movement to end settler colonialism and all supremacist cultures.

One vital form of engagement is to spend (and not spend) according to the future we want to help bring about. We can also give money directly to relief efforts, especially those that are led by the people most affected by violence and oppressive systems.

I’ve compiled these possibilities, gathered since October 7th. Please feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments.

with infinite love,
Shambhavi

Liberation wearables and comestibles

The shops listed here either donate a portion of their profits to Palestinian relief efforts, are businesses based in Palestine and run by Palestinians, or directly fund nonprofit organizations working in Palestine.

Shop Palestine - A project in support of the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA: www.mecaforpeace.org). Offers a wide variety of Palestinian-made and pro-Palestinian clothing, food, books, and art.

Luetti 1980 - Beautiful pro-Palestinian graphics on iconic street wearables. Donates 100% of their profits to relief efforts in Palestine.

West Bank Apparel - Palestinian-owned purveyor of clothing and jewelry from Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Jordan, and other Middle Eastern countries. Gives a minimum of 15% of their profits to relief efforts.

Watan Studio - A Palestinian-inspired arts shop located in Chicago and serving as a cultural and educational hub for Palestinians in the diaspora working toward collective liberation.

Palestine Solidarity Campaign - This store supports the biggest activist organization in the UK dedicated to securing Palestinian human rights. They sell keffiyehs, clothing, books, and accessories.

Hirbawi Keffiyeh - The only keffiyeh manufacturer still operating in Palestine.

Canaan Palestine - Upscale, Palestinian-owned purveyor of olive oil and other foods from Palestine. Canaan works with over 1,000 artisan family farms spanned across 43 different villages. Based in the U.S. and Palestine.

What not to buy

Boycotting is a powerful long-term strategy and was instrumental in bringing an end to international financial support of the apartheid government in South Africa. Check out the BDS Movement for in-depth analysis and current boycott campaigns.

Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) is a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality. BDS upholds the simple principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity.

The movement works to end international support for Israel's oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law.

Where to donate

These relief organizations and efforts are either grassroots initiatives of Palestinians living in Gaza and the diaspora or are NGOs working in Gaza to bring humanitarian relief to the people.

Humaniti Foundation - A nonprofit that pays Palestinian cooks in Gaza to make meals for the people.

Ele Elna Elak - A Gazan grassroots effort to get vegetables, food, and water to the people. Bisan Owda works with this group.

Watermelon Relief - A Gazan grassroots group aiding displaced families with meals, support, and activities. Along with Humaniti, they are getting food and supplies to my favorite Gazan chef, Hamada Sho. He’s using packaged food aid to improvise Palestinian recipes in mass quantities for displaced people and also to communicate to us wordlessly about the genocide.

The Sameer Project - A Palestinian-led relief effort that brings tents, medical supplies, and pre-natal supplies to displaced Gazans. They also give cash in envelopes to families in need of food, water, and other life sustaining goods that they can no longer afford.

Sim Kern - Activist and author Sim Kern runs vetted fundraisers to get families out of Gaza and provide basic necessities.

Baitulmaal - Water and emergency food packets to the people of Gaza.

UNICEF - Food, water, and medicine to the children of Gaza.

UNRWA - In addition to providing healthcare, relief, and social services to Gazans, UNRWA has just started a new “Back to Learning” initiative to jumpstart education for children in Gaza.

World Central Kitchen - Funds frontline chefs in Gaza and elsewhere in the Middle East to provide food for displaced people.

Want more? Please join me and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.

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Story

“Dancer-choreographer” is one of my lives yet to be lived, along with café owner, wandering healer, and graphic artist. Y’know, those paths you can’t take right now, but hope to in a different time or life.

Maybe you’ve traveled those paths briefly or superficially. You wistfully imagine going further, deeper, but you know that they would be detours this time around. Or maybe they live only in your imagination.

So in this life, I’m merely an enjoyer of dance. Here are some of the dancers and dances I’ve enjoyed recently.

What are your lives not-yet-lived? Please share in the comments!

Yoann Bourgeois

Revealing impermanence and the movement inherent in everything, Yoann Bourgeois is a French dancer, choreographer, and artist who also trained in circus arts. Bourgeois builds all of the machines and structures that appear in the dances. More on YouTube.

Lee Mingwei

Transforming ordinary actions like writing, sweeping, mending, or breathing into rituals of care, Mingwei engages dancers with minimal instructions that encourage an improvisational choreography of attention, listening, and responsiveness. More on YouTube.

Hamza Saqer, Dabka dancer, Gaza

Many people around the world experienced Dabka (also Dabke), a Levantine dance form, for the first time after October 7th. Hamza Saqer is a young dancer living in Gaza. Not only has he kept dancing in the rubble, but he and his friends are teaching displaced children to dance and have been involved in food relief efforts. He also participates in the famed Free Gaza Circus formed to bring some joy to the children of Gaza. Hamza is currently trying to get his family out of the war zone.

Hervé Koubi - Sol Invictus

French-Algerian choreographer Hervé Koubi creates for dancers adept in contemporary, street, and urban dance, capoeira, and martial arts. He also draws on sufi ritual. Sol Invictus is his latest work. More on YouTube.

Brigita Krašovec

Brigita Krašovec is a 20-year-old Slovenian gymnast, dancer, and choreographer. She’s also obsessed with Billie Eilish. Here she is rehearsing! I love how she’s speaking of the interwining of brokenness and power. Find more on her Instagram.

Dancing Pina - a documentary

This is more of a heads up. Dancing Pina is still making the film festival circuit and has not been officially released, although it is available on DVD. The documentary is a thrilling tour of how two groups of dancers, one based in Germany and the other a pan-African troupe assembled in Senegal, are embodying and discovering fresh interpretations of the work of Pina Bausch.

Buy the DVD (if you still have a player), or just don’t miss this when it starts streaming!

Want more? Please join me and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.

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The revolution, beautified

Pretty much the only “extra-curricular” net noodling I’ve done lately is looking at art, dance, and design. And as the saying goes, the revolution needs bread and roses, sustenance and beauty. So here’s what I got!

• First Nation artist Archie Moore was born in Toowoomba, Australia. He’s of the Kamilaroi/Bigambul people. Recently he became the only Australian to ever win the The Golden Lion first prize at the Venice Biennale in Italy. Archie's work is his family tree. Archie drew it in chalk on the walls and ceiling at the exhibition space. It took him 2 months to complete. This massive family tree goes back 2,400 generations and 65,000 years.

• Jameel al Baz is a very young Gazan artist I found on Instagram. Here is one of his installation pieces with drawings of Gazans amid the rubble. His family’s house was destroyed, and he’s running a fundraiser to save for rebuilding.

• Brigita Krašovec is an amazing dancer and gymnast from Slovenia. She describes this as a “draft.” Talk about presence. Only 20 years old! I can’t wait to see how her dancing evolves. Visit her Instagram for more.

• Confession: I’m not a big fan of figure skating. But this video of Gabriella Papadakis & Guillaume Cizeron captured me. Maybe its the absence of sequins and awkward “ballet”. But I think it’s more than that.

The Design Section

I love design. Furniture, dwellings, typography, graphic art, clothing, books, kitchenware, political posters, websites, any design, really. Design is my career path not taken. Here’s a grab bag of designed things I’ve enjoyed recently.

• Noho, my favorite new designer from New Zealand, makes super-functional furniture out of castor beans, old carpets, and recycled fishing nets. Somehow, all that trash is not cheap. 😆 But I love that they not only recycled the materials, but also recycled the canonical crappy plastic chair to make something beautifully minimal and spectacularly engineered. Also comfortable.

• 177 Milk Street. Japanese-inspired knives designed especially to cut vegetables, but hybridized with more traditional chef’s knives. What does this mean? It means you can cut straight down in the Japanese style or hold the tip and rock while slicing and dicing. (If you know, you know.) They are also lighter, which is nice especially for the cleaver. The shapes take a bit of getting used to.

• Alchemy Digital in London has long been one of my favorite website designers. Some of their stuff is corporate, but when they get a project where they can let loose, wow! It’s unusual to find web designers who are so attuned to typography.
  
  Long time back, on a whim, I wrote and asked if they would consider designing Jaya Kula’s website for not so much money. Turns out one of the owners is Buddhist. For a hot second, they considered doing our site pro bono. But they nixed the idea as it would have been too expensive due to the size and complexity of jayakula.org. Not a total loss as we had some fun conversations!
  
  Here’s a screenshot from one of their projects.

• My current fave graphic designers are the folks at We Are In House. Their homegrown typography is to die for, and they are never less than entertaining. It’s impossible to capture the dynamism of what they do here. So visit and have a look!

Have a beauty-filled day!

with infinite love,

Shambhavi

Want more? Please join me and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.

Not quite ready to fire up a paid subscription, but want to show your appreciation?

Books here now

Those who know me know I’m sweet on e-books. After decades of lugging many dozens of cartons of books around every time I moved, I was all too happy to ditch them and make the switch. Now, most of my books live on my iPad mini and fit in the palm of my hand. I’m inordinately happy about this.

When I left academia, I sold off hundreds of books and donated what didn’t sell to my school library. I gave away more books to our nonprofit, Jaya Kula. Today I own fewer than ten cartons of books. I dunno, maybe eight? I haven’t looked in my storage in a while.

I’ve kept some books that haven’t been digitized, and some I’m saving to give to students before I die.

The photo is of my current shelf of books not in storage. And down below the dotted line is a “first thought, best thought” list of books I’ve loved, or own and plan to love.

Bookshop.org has a lot of these books on back order, so I had to link to Amazon. But you might check with Bookshop, too, in case they’ve been restocked. Cheaper versions are generally available on Kindle and, of course, used.

Lots of love, Shambhavi

Bookloves

Grace and Mercy in Her Wild Hair: Selected Poems to the Mother Goddess

Poems of Ramprasad Sen translated by Leonard Nathan and Clinton Seely

These poems to Mother Kali by the 18th century Bengali bhakta, Ramprasad Sen, are both luminous and utterly down to earth. If you want to learn how to complain to God about your lot in life, Ramprasad Sen is your guide.

So long to the old boy
In his holy man's get-up.
They'll shout Hari a few times,
Dump me on the pile and walk off.
That's it for old Ramprasad.
They'll wipe off the tears
And dig in for their supper.

The Gospel Of Shri Anandamayi Ma Volume 1: Conversations With The Divine Mother

A new collection of the satsangs of Anandamayi Ma edited by Lisa Prajña Hallstrom and translated by Satya Pal Sharma. Volume 2 is also available.

Anandamayi Ma taught only in satsang—informal gatherings with devotees. These recordings of Ma’s satsangs languished in the Harvard Divinity School Library for years and years until Ma devotee Prajña Hallstrom had them translated. The result is two new volumes of the words of Ma.

This body does not know anything about shaastra (the scriptures). She says only what she knows. Play this instrument, and you will hear.

Things you May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza

By Palestinian poet, Mosab Abu Toha

Mosab Abu Toha escaped from Gaza with his family after being displaced multiple times and wrongly imprisioned by the Israeli occupation forces. Read an account of Abu Toha’s escape in November 2023. His poems are stark, tender, and incandescent.

B. A book that doesn't mention my language or my country, and has maps of every place except for my birthplace, as if I were an illegitimate child on Mother Earth.

Borders are those invented lines drawn with ash on maps and sewn into the ground by bullets.

Everything is Light: the Circle of Total Illumination

A magnificent Dzogchen ati yoga tantra translated by Keith Dowman.

The text is a mixture of more conventionally-presented view teachings and amazing poetic passages aimed at pointing the reader toward what can only be directly known through one’s own experience.

Reality appears in dharmakaya like sunlight shining in a mirror.
Reality suffuses dharmakaya like butter suffusing milk.
Pure presence abides in the nature of reality like sunlight in the sky. Implicit, unthought, dharmakaya reality and its creativity are like the hasp and blade of a primitive razor.
Unadulterated perfection is like a gossamer silk brocade tent.
Diversity and nonduality are like a tree and its shadow.

I, Lalla: the Poems of Lal Děd

Translated by Ranjit Hoskote

Lal Ded or Lalla or Lalleshvari was a 14th century Kashmiri wandering yogini. Her spoken sayings were written down by her disciples and, over the centuries, have deeply embedded themselves into the culture and daily life of Kashmir. This translation restores the gutsiness and also the raw devotional quality of Lalleshvari’s voice.

You won’t find the Truth
by crossing your legs and holding your breath.
Daydreams won’t take you through the gateway of release.
You can stir as much salt as you like in water,
it won’t become the sea.

Shaiva Devotional Songs of Kashmir: a translation and study of Utpaladeva’s Shivastotravali

Translation and commentary by Constantina Rhodes Bailly

Utpaladeva’s Shivastrotravali might be a spiritual journal or an outpouring of prayer or poetry. But it definitely is the one book I would take if I were stuck on a deserted island. Utpaladeva (c. 900–950 CE), along with his teacher Somananda, is the founder of the self-recognition school of Kashmir Shaivism. This version of the Shivastrotravali is elegant, simple, and beautiful. Other versions are also well-worth reading.

Even the path of worldly living
Becomes blissful for the devotees
Who have obtained your blessing, O Lord,
And who live inside your realm.

The Shape of Ancient Thought: Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies

By Thomas McEvilley

McEvilley’s controversial book is a mind blower. It documents the importation of cosmology and teachings about the nature of the self from North India into the foundations of ancient Greco-Roman philosophy. It’s written in a “soft” academic style, not impenetrable, but also not a stroll in the park.

An admission that Indian philosophers had something to teach Greek philosophers, and that Greek philosophers acknowledged this fact, would add up to an admission that the classical culture of India was equal to that of Greece, not merely that they had shared linguistic roots. It would mean that the ancient Indians could think as clearly as the ancient Greeks—and that confuted the rational West/ irrational East dichotomy that was firmly fixed in the colonizing mentality.

Lord Krishna’s Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking

By Yamuna Devi

I couldn’t not have a cook book. This one has been with me for many, many years. It is simply magisterial, if you can say that about a cookbook. There are recipes from many regions in India, some easy, some complex. Hint: the Kindle edition is only $10.

The Mahabharata-a modern rendering - 2 Vol Set

By Ramesh Menon

Menon’s Mahabharata is a page-turner version of the great Indian tale of doubt, dharma, warriorship, and waking up. You actually could take this to the beach. It’s entertaining, colorful, even a tad ribald here and there. Reading it might just turn out to be a completely life-changing experience.

Running, sobbing as she ran, she hardly knew herself any more as she went. She stopped at times and bayed at the stars in the night sky like a she-wolf that had lost her mate. All she knew was the fire in her soul for revenge, consuming her. Bheeshma may be the greatest kshatriya on earth; but he had ruined her and he must pay for it with his life.

In the heart of a forest, where not even rishis ventured, she sat under a gnarled tree and began to pray. For a year she sat, unmoving, her body fed by just her hatred, worshipping Siva’s son Karttikeya. Dirt caked her face and her hair hung to her waist in tangled jata. Her tapasya was so perfect that Karttikeya appeared before her sooner than he ever had for any other bhakta.

Rip Rap and Cold Mountain Poems

By Gary Snyder

A magical volume of Zen poetry from the start of the 60s by one of America’s finest poets plus Snyder's translations of poems by the 8th century wild wanderer and hermit, Han Shan. Do not exit your time on earth without reading these.

In my first thirty years of life
I roamed hundreds and thousands of miles.
Walked by rivers through deep green grass
Entered cities of boiling red dust.

Tried drugs, but couldn’t make Immortal;
Read books and wrote poems on history.
Today I’m back at Cold Mountain:
I’ll sleep by the creek and purify my ears.
~ Han Shan

The Selected Poems of Li Po

Translated by David Hinton

The poet Li Po (more properly Li Bai) lived during the first half of the 8th century in T’ang Dynasty China. His life was one of extremes. He went from being a translator for the Emperor to an exiled, wandering outcast. He married four times and, as the story goes, he drowned drunk while attempting to embrace the reflection of the moon in a lake. This translation has been criticized for taking too many liberties with the text. I still love it. Purists have plenty of options, too.

What’s taking that wineseller so long?
Mountain flowers smiling, taunting me,
it’s the perfect time to sip some wine,

ladle it out beneath my east window
at dusk, wandering orioles back again.

Spring breezes and their drunken guest:
today, we were meant for each other.

And finally, two books I bought, but haven’t yet read . . .

Neither Settler nor Native: The Making and Unmaking of Permanent Minorities by Mahmood Mamdani

The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World by Antony Loewenstein

Not quite ready to fire up a paid subscription, but want to show your appreciation?

Please join Shambhavi and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.

But first, a story

Hello and welcome to all the new subscribers to K108. You might be wondering what the heck is going on with K108.

K108 is my creative playground. It’s where I get to share literally anything and everything with you. Also, the eclecticism of K108 demonstrates in a concrete way that we don’t have to reject any aspect of life if we are being “spiritual.” Everything belongs.

Right now, you’ve stumbled into an Anda post. “Anda” means “egg” in Sanskrit. In my tradition, Trika Shaivism, all of manifest life is said to be composed of Andas, or zones of creative production. Andas are where I post links to anything that has intrigued, moved, amazed, or inspired me lately.

I talk more about why and how K108 came to be here. Lots of love, and enjoy!

And now, on to the Anda!

1. Published in 2022, this transcendent new translation of Rumi is definitely the new Gold standard. Unlike Coleman Barks, who just kind of riffs on other translations of Rumi, Gafori is of Persian descent and translates from the original Farsi. She’s also a poet in her own right. Her renderings are magical. Get the book.

2. Looking for a bansuri flute or tanpura? These custom-made instruments from the Miraj, India workshop of Jason Kalidas are beyond great. Get started here. And listen to this recording of the tanpura that Javid, a 3rd generation tanpura and sitar maker, created for me recently. I’m waiting for the shipment to arrive as I write! Jason is also a bansuri concert musician. He has performed Indian classical and fusion music all over the west and India. Check out his website.

3. Continuing on with more music opps, thrill to the artistry of Indian mandolinist U. Srinivas. Suggested by K108 reader Vidhra Jackiw.

4. Did you know that an olive tree can live to be 5,000 years old? Here are some pictures of old olive trees, because beauty and wonder.

5. If you like playful vintage clothing from the 60s, 70s, and 80s with a hint of 40s, Better Call Sri is for you! Assemblist and purveyor Sri Louise was one of my first yoga teachers back in early San Francisco days. She’s also a dancer and sister activist. Check out her Etsy and get dressed!

   

6. Science fiction recommendation: If you haven’t yet gotten into the Apple TV production For All Mankind, you should. It’s an alternate history of the space race. Beautifully scripted, acted, and directed. Now in its fourth season, so you have some luxurious catching up to do. Pro tip: there are many ways you can get Apple TV+ for free.

7. The perfect mid-apocalypse time out: Cooking for Levi. Have I already mentioned this Instagram dad chef who cooks gourmet food for his two-year-old son? Seriously, if this doesn’t melt your heart and make you smile, well, I’m out of my lane.

8. What does from the river to the sea really mean? Find out from Jewish Currents.

9. Do you know about the Buy Nothing Movement? It’s a neighborhood-based get and give free stuff jam. You can offer anything you want to get rid of: clothing, household items, kids stuff, food, pets, lawn tools, decorations, furniture, and really anything. You can also get the same. Everything is free only.

   The Buy Nothing groups are all on Facebook. Just type in “Buy Nothing” and find your neighborhood and join in. There is also a Buy Nothing app, but I’ve never used it so can’t comment. Buy Nothing is a wonderful way that neighbors support and get to know each other.

   

10. Have you ever found yourself in need of a Star Trek-style scrolling intro video with custom text? I have more times than I care to admit. Luckily, there is the Star Wars Intro Creator. A 720p custom video is $10. Slightly more for higher resolution formats. Usually ready in a half hour.

11. Calling in people of European, British, Irish, and African ancestry. My Living DNA is a relatively new DNA analysis outfit that does it all, but also specializes in certain areas of the world. For instance, if your ancestors come from the British Isles, Living DNA might be able to pinpoint a specific neighborhood where your forefolks lived. They gave me much more information than Ancestry and bill their service as “the most detailed ancestry test in the world.”

12. Finally, don’t forget to protest! Resistbot is an easy way to send letters to your elected officials via their website, your text app, Whatsapp, or Facebook Messenger.

Not quite ready to fire up a paid subscription, but want to show your appreciation?

Please join Shambhavi and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.

Healthy and warm gifts for winter

1. Organic ghee lip balm from Pure Indian Foods

2. 100% merino wool beanie handmade in Donegal Ireland from Rathlin Knitwear on Etsy. Keep you and your loved ones toasty!

3. Organic mullein tincture - great, all-around lung tonic

4. Saavy Touch Rocket Fuel - opens up nasal passages and lungs with manuka honey for natural anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory action.

5. Neti Pot - my favorite, extra-large neti from a great company. And here’s their comprehensive video on how to use the neti pot.

6. Massage oil from Banyan Botanicals - a formula for all doshas, but they also have versions for Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Warm up the oil, dry brush, and massage the oil into your skin before you shower.

7. Baby alpaca wool throw blanket - incredibly soft and warm, many gorgeous colors. Large enough to curl up in or use as a wrap for cold mornings when you are doing your sadhana. Will last a lifetime. $$$

8. Ma Sharanam Shakti Ladoos - Nourishing and energizing treats for colder months of the year. Will keep for weeks in the fridge.

Palestine Learning Gifts for kids and not-so-kids

1. Books about Palestine for Children
   We're in This Together by Linda Sarsour
   These Olive Trees by Aya Ghanameh
   We are Palestinian: A Celebration of Culture and Tradition by Reem Kassis
   Homeland: My Father’s Dream of Palestine by Hannah Moushabeck
   Yalla, Let Me Show You Palestine by Nasser Nabhan
   Sitti's Key by Sahar Khader Ali

   

2. Books about Palestine for Adults
   Palestine by Joe Sacco - Unpacks the history of Palestine-Israel relations and the life of Palestinians in a comic book format
   The Hundred Year’s War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi, the definitive history of settler colonialism and resistance, 1917-2017
   The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World by Anthony Loewenstein. Winner of the 2023 Walkey Non-Fiction Journalism Prize. Shortlisted for the 2023 Moore Prize for Human Rights Writing.

   

Not quite ready to fire up a paid subscription, but want to show your appreciation?

Please join Shambhavi and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.

1. It’s darn hard to find a deeply trained Ayurvedic clinician in the U.S. Jaya Kula community member, Emma Landau brings a commitment to the breadth and depth of traditional Ayurvedic medicine. Her training includes practitioner and graduate-level studies under renowned author and teacher Vasant Lad, a BAMS from the Ayurvedic Institute, and continued studies at The Arogya Center in Albuquerque. Emma also works within the Path of Pollen shamanic lineage. Telemedicine is available.
   Find out more at Ekata Ayurveda and Natural Medicine > > >

2. Get the recipe for Hildegard of Bingen’s Cookies of Joy! Also great intel about how Saint Hildegard used herbs and spices for healthcare in the 12th century.

3. It’s October, growing colder, and one of my students gave me a couple of pots of marigolds. What to do? Learn how to Grow Marigolds as Houseplants, of course!

4. Jaya Kula and the folks at Sukhasiddhi Foundation in San Rafael, California are dharma friends. Their Resident Lama, Lama Döndrup, has written an article on a topic near and dear to my heart. Check out What Vajrayana Practice Has to Offer Us in Our Daily Lives.

5. Interview with musician, singer, and songwriter Gail Ann Dorsey, considered to be one of the top bass players alive today. Also check out David Bowie: The Last Five Years on Max where Gail speaks about her life as Bowie’s bass player.

   

6. I’m in love with the paintings of Yuko Murakoshi.

   

7. The fun online newsy letter Futurism brings science, technology, and science-adjacent news. Always slightly ahead of its time.

8. The Martha Graham dance company turns 100 years old in 2023. They’re celebrating with three years of special performances. Read about it here.

9. A really long, kinda fascinating, kinda gruesome article about personal hygiene in the Middle Ages in Europe.

   And that’s all for now folx!

   Kindred 108 is here because you are here. If you find K108 to be of benefit, kindly subscribe for free or upgrade to a paid subscription. Thank you!

   Not quite ready to fire up a paid subscription, but want to show your appreciation?

   

   Please join Shambhavi and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.
   

1. Arthur Keefe of Sahaya Sacred Arts offers LGBTQIA+ informed Vedic astrology and sacred art for healing, empowerment, and transformation. Arthur’s readings are for anyone who wants to discover more about their natural capacities, patterns of relating to others, and personal or professional goals. But if you fear being unseen and unsupported during a reading due to the biases and privilege of traditions and/or astrologers, then Arthur’s got you covered. Sit back and relax!

   

   Visit Sahaya Sacred Arts

   Over the coming months in these Anda posts, I’ll be featuring Jaya Kula community members who offer exemplary services and beautiful objects.
   Stay tuned!

2. True Leaf Market - crazy variety of organic seeds for sprouting!

3. Vishnu churning the waters and the heavens to extract the nectar of ambrosia, painted by Newar artist, Udaya Charan Shrestha.

   

4. Jason Yuan, MercuryOS: A speculative vision of the operating system, driven by humane design principles.

5. Maria Fux, Argentinian dancer, pioneer in developing dance therapy for people with disabilities and a huge heart. Watch til the end!

6. Music playing in the video above:

7. Best places online to learn how to play harmonium and sing kirtan and bhajan:

   Bhakti Breakfast Club - goes down easy
   Sama School of Music - more hardcore

   Harmonium and Vocal lessons for beginners - extensive YouTube series that begins with Lesson 101. This guy is so humble, he doesn’t even have his name anywhere on his channel.

8. Trika Geeks! Word-for-word translations of Kashmiri Krama scriptures at Mahanāya.

9. Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt plays evening raga Gawati on Hindusthani Slide Guitar

Not quite ready to fire up a paid subscription, but want to show your appreciation?

Please join Shambhavi and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.

1. Jaya Kula community member Susan Fauman makes magical, talismanic jewelry!

Discover Susan's Creations

See the maker at work!

2. Into the Heart of the Mountain - a forthcoming, feature length film by Annegre Bosman about Roshi Joan Halifax’s Nomads Clinic and Buddhist feminist perspectives. Gorgeous and moving!

3. Where did the word “woke” come from? When Huddie Ledbetter coined “woke,” it meant that when you’re a Black person, you need to stay woke to stay alive.

   

4. Dimi Mint Aba - Mauritanienne singer and instrumentalist. Most likely, you have never heard music such as this. A revelation.
   

5. William Shatner finally travels to space at age 90 and discovers that the final frontier is learning to take care of Earth.

   

   
   “Last year, I had a life-changing experience at 90 years old. I went to space, after decades of playing an iconic science-fiction character who was exploring the universe. I thought I would experience a deep connection with the immensity around us, a deep call for endless exploration.

   "I was absolutely wrong. The strongest feeling, that dominated everything else by far, was the deepest grief that I had ever experienced.

   "I understood, in the clearest possible way, that we were living on a tiny oasis of life, surrounded by an immensity of death. I didn’t see infinite possibilities of worlds to explore, of adventures to have, or living creatures to connect with. I saw the deepest darkness I could have ever imagined, contrasting so starkly with the welcoming warmth of our nurturing home planet.

   "This was an immensely powerful awakening for me. It filled me with sadness. I realized that we had spent decades, if not centuries, being obsessed with looking away, with looking outside. I did my share in popularizing the idea that space was the final frontier. But I had to get to space to understand that Earth is and will stay our only home. And that we have been ravaging it, relentlessly, making it uninhabitable."

   ~ William Shatner
   

6. I’m a Virgo - Boots Riley creates a new Oakland-based, Black, anti-capitalist, superhero who’s into kindness and healthy food for body, mind, and spirit.

7. Recent Democracy Now interview with director Vinay Shukla and journalist Ravish Kumar on While We Watched, the soon-to-be-released documentary about journalism in India today.

8. The Hundred Most Holy Places on Earth - an annotated list from Patheos’ Sacred Space Initiative.

   Visit the Sacred Space Initiative

9. Zen teacher Zenju Earthlyn Manuel holds the relative and the absolute together in her brilliant essay “Awakening Fueled by Rage.”

   

10. And I couldn’t resist adding this little plug for Soapgirl: purveyor of the nicest goat milk and other handmade soaps, elixers, and potions. You can get ONE bar of goat milk soap and use it for both body and shampoo. Doesn’t dry anything out, creates no plastic waste. Plus, when you have only a single bar of soap in your shower and no nasty plastic bottles, it sparks joy and is aesthetically very cool. Comes in a bunch of flavors. There are even more flavors if you stray from the goat milk herd. Made in Texas.

    

Not quite ready to fire up a paid subscription, but want to show your appreciation?

Please join Shambhavi and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.

1. Meet Jaya Kula’s resident naturopath, Dr. Sangita Pedro! Dr. Sangita specializes in all the things that plague us these days, including lyme, complex chronic illnesses, mold and fungus, and stubborn gut issues. She also offers traditional homeopathy. Dr. Sangita works with folx from all over the place via Zoom, but her office is in Portland, Oregon. Find her at Clear Sky Natural Medicine.

   

   Over the next six months in these Anda posts, I’ll be featuring Jaya Kula community members who offer exemplary services and beautiful objects. So stay tuned!

2. I’ve had an aromantic crush on Danny Kaye since I was a little kid. This is definitely a joy-sparker. If you don’t know these guys - Harry Belafonte and Danny Kaye - they had a magical friendship and were both incredible performers. Harry was of mixed Jamaican and Jewish ancestry. Danny’s parents were Jewish immigrants.

3. Free books about Anandamayi Ma! Whole books, totally free about Anandamayi Ma’s life and teachings.

4. Aaannnnd. . . if you have to spare, the most wonderful Jyotish jewelry in the realm: Oocha Mani from Jyotishi and craftsperson extraordinaire, Nala Saraswati.

5. A Facebook friend and fellow Yijing/Zhouyi geek posted this photo of books he’s reading.

   

6. And continuing the ancient traditions from China theme, check out Stephanie Stewart’s @seriousfengshui on IG. Daily forecasts and pithy advice based on Chinese astrology.

7. I just found out that Richard Diebenkorn, one of my favorite California artists, was actually born in Portland, OR where I currently live. His Ocean Park series sparked a marvelous dream back in my 20s. I was wandering among many of the large Ocean Park paintings that were floating all around me. Then a voice I presumed to be Diebenkorn’s came out of the sky and said: “The reason why I love Ocean Park is because you can feel life more intensely here.”

   

8. And some more art! The Dakini as Art website contains a wealth of Dakini, Yogini, and female deity paintings and stories by contemporary artists. The site owner also has a Dakini as Art Instagram.

9. Okay, I guess I’m on an art roll. Lotus Sculpture offers all kinds of Hindu and Buddhist statues in a wide range of styles and prices. You’re sure to find something perfect for your altar!

Not quite ready to fire up a paid subscription, but want to show your appreciation?

Please join Shambhavi and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.

Here are some things I’m reading and watching, online and off.

1. Words of My Perfect Teacher, Patrul Rinpoche. Buddhist classic from the inimitable Patrul.

2. Crutches and Spice - Instagram of disability blogger and edge-rider Imani Barbarin. You might not like everything she says, but she’s always worth hearing.

3. The Teachings of the Odd-Eyed One: A Study and Translation of the Virupaksapancasika, with the Commentary of Vidyacakravartin (SUNY series in Hindu Studies)

4. Heart Advice of Ayu Khandro - one of Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche’s main teachers.

5. Ma In Her Words - a privately circulated compendium of the teachings of Anandamayi Ma. Now you have it!

   

   Ma In Her Words

   492KB ∙ PDF file

   Download

   Download

6. Cosmic Anarchy by Ayesha Khan, a Substack newsletter bridging science & social justice and decolonizing healing & medicine.

7. Alien Motherships: Pentagon official floats a theory for unexplained sightings

8. Awakening Together: The Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity and Community by Larry Yang

9. Indrajit Samarajiva on Medium - Sri Lankan writer - kind of the Alexis de Tocqueville of our time. Radical, no-holds-barred view of our current sitch.

10. Christopher Stamey on Instagram - queerly affectionate send up of iconic Southern neighbors and personalities in church.

11. The Dipolomat - entertaining new global political thriller on Netflix with Keri Russell and a bunch of other great actors.

Not quite ready to fire up a paid subscription, but want to show your appreciation?

Please join me and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.

Here are some of my best things, tested in real-life conditions!

Best incense according to moi

• Japan Incense - anything by Minorien Fu-in

• Scented Mountain - sustainably grown agarwood incense

Best place in the West to start learning how to play harmonium

• The Bhakti Breakfast Club with Daniel Tucker

Best labor-friendly tea direct from India

• Teabox

Best place to shop for housewares and support local artisans from around the world

• Novica

Best newsletter for reliable analysis of all thing COVID-19

• Your Local Epidemiologist

Best places to educate yourself about the history of the arts from the Indian subcontinent

• The Map Academy

• Himalayan Art Resources

Best places to buy high-quality essential oils

• Eden Botanicals - has a lot of different size options to fit different needs and budgets

• Miracle Botanicals - Hawaiian company that always has Hawaiian sandalwood oil - my favorite

• Living Libations - essential oils plus lots of different organic health and beauty products that you’ll probably want, but they’re pricey

Best places to buy fancy food from India if you don’t live near an Indian grocery store, or even if you do

• Pure Indian Foods

• Diaspora Co

Best place online to buy Indian sweets if you don’t live near an Indian sweet shop - ARK Food Co is great, btw

• Indian sweets on Etsy

And finally. . . Best Fukushima throwback picture

Me in a tin foil hat. You can’t see it, but I’m also holding a Geiger Counter. The tin foil hat is not serious. The Geiger Counter was.

Not quite ready to fire up a paid subscription, but want to show your appreciation?

Please join Shambhavi and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.

1. Read this cool article about a 16th century magic mirror with with a hidden image of Buddha.

   

2. Was not really surprised to learn that we are 60-70% Neanderthal. But this was surprising: people who have inherited a certain Neanderthal chromosome variant, are twice as likely to die of COVID if infected.

3. Music find: Genre-defying South African composer, cellist, vocalist Abel Selaocoe @abelselaocoe.

4. Watched new Beatles documentary on Disney+. Incredible to see some of their most celebrated songs being birthed in real-time. The brilliance of Paul McCartney is a revelation, at least to me.

5. I spy with my little eye. The Intercept uses the Freedom of Information Act to get transcripts of early email conversations between Fauci and NIH scientists about the origins of COVID.

6. And here’s a place where you can learn super-traditional South Indian Vedic chanting. Veda Studies.

7. I am definitely going to make this Vegan Blueberry Earl Grey tart. The whole website is delish.

8. I am definitely not going to make this gluteny pastry with a half stick of butter in every serving! But in another life, in another body. . . Thanks to K108 subscriber Charandas for bringing this. The video is adorable regardless.

9. And finally, officially addicted to the Sad Beige lady on Instagram.

Have a great rest of your week!

Not quite ready to fire up a paid subscription, but want to show your appreciation?

Please join Shambhavi and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.

1. Remembered my lost love for the Dada poetry of Tristan Tzara and got reacquainted.

2. Music find of the month: Genre-defying South African composer, cellist, vocalist Abel Selaocoe @abelselaocoe.

3. Found this list of 10 Films By Indigenous Filmmakers To Watch Instead Of Avatar: The Way Of Water.

4. After seeing James Spader in something, ended up on the webpage of his wife, Leslie Stefanson, a sculptor.

5. Continued feeding my Etsy-based obsession with unglazed cookware.

   

6. Read an informative article about the incoming Water Rabbit year.

7. Once again, enjoyed the never-ending stream of dad jokes from a Facebook friend.

   

8. Started putting together a “might try” list of Portland restaurants and cafes.

9. Enjoyed this choreography from @_fernando_melo.

Not quite ready to fire up a paid subscription, but want to show your appreciation?

Please join Shambhavi and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.

1. Was dazzled by Roshan Kumari, renowned Kathak dancer (Jaipur Gharānā) in Satyajit Ray's movie Jalsaghar. The besotted, all-male audience was creepy.

2. Looked up a bunch of words in my online Sanskrit dictionary of choice.

3. Started re-reading the Avadhuta Gita.

4. Read a bunch of stuff about Prince Harry’s new book. 🙄

5. Rented, but have not yet watched Tukdam: Between Worlds.

6. Tried out this rice and mung dal dessert recipe for South Indian Sweet Pongal. Yum!!

7. Whipped up some homemade almond butter with roasted, unpasturized California almonds purchased direct from this farmer. Also made almond milk. Realized yet again that most store-bought nuts are moldy.

8. Received this mind-opening, aloeswood incense as a gift from a student. What a treat!

9. Learned to play a beautiful kirtan — Daya Karō Mātā.

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   Not quite ready to fire up a paid subscription, but want to show your appreciation?

   

   Please join Shambhavi and the Jaya Kula community for satsang & kirtan every Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific. Come in person to 1215 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, or join Jaya Kula’s newsletter to get the Zoom link for satsang. You can also listen to my podcast—Satsang with Shambhavi—wherever podcasts are found.