Night Sky

The same uniform I wore yesterday, the same I shall wear tomorrow. On and on it goes.

I am feeling quite well. And I wish this feeling upon everyone, no exceptions.

Love makes me happy every day I manage to remember it.

My condolences. Her presence was a blessing upon everyone who ever saw her.

Welcome. I too had to work up to joining a new internet forum at this point in my life, but I'm glad I did. This is a great place.

Welcome to the Forum! We've got fun and Manes!

Four Super Powerful Pony Chants and an Essay explaining them. Princess Celestia Om Namah Rajni Celestia, Om Surya Prana! Princess Luna Om Namah Rajni Luna, Om Chandra Prana! Princess Twilight Sparkle Om Rajni Dipta Bhanumati! Om Prajnabala Om! Princess Cadence Om Rajni Mi Amore Cadenza! Prema Shakti Om! Translations: Om! Salutations to Princess Celestia! Om! Power of the Sun! Om! Salutations to Princess Luna! Om! Power of the Moon! Om! Princess of Luminous, Radiant Starlight! Om! Power of Wisdom! Om! Princess Mi Amore Cadenza! Om! The Power of Love! The First Section This first section is not just my attempt to head off potential criticisms ahead of time. By going through these considerations, I can begin to explain these four chants as well. Lest I be accused of colonialism, flippancy or cultural appropriation, let me start by making the point that in the East, spiritual debates between different traditions and religions are encouraged, and debate is frequently an important aspect of clerical training. I am very ready to defend my offerings. As the chatbots say, some key points to consider: - I have been seriously studying Eastern Religions since the end of high school. While I make no claim to great accomplishment or mastery, I believe I am sufficiently sensitive to the relevant issues. It hasn't just been an academic study either. I have had life changing encounters with Senior Monks and lay practitioners. I have living transmission of a mantra from a holy and selfless Devotee. I have studied a selection of scriptures in considerable detail over many years. I make no claim to mastery, only to a solid basis of comprehension about the intent of these great authors. In fact, I mention all of this with great hesitation and in all humility. I mention it because if I don't, my offerings above will seem absurd or incomprehensible. - Enough about me. - Both within Hinduism and Buddhism, and certainly within academia, it remains both a matter of debate, and a matter of perspective as to who and what all the divine and semi-divine personages actually are. - Are all the Devas, Gods, Demi-Gods, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as real as we are? Are they just aspects of Brahman? Are they highly enlightened and meritorious beings, but like us, fundamentally empty? Or, are they just constructs to guide the development of our consciousness, thought forms to ease our suffering? Only you can answer this question for yourself. Many adherents of Buddhism and Hinduism subscribe to each of the views listed above. - While the teachings of Buddha Himself, or the deep seeking of the Upanishads and the Vedanta contain the universal, non-sectarian messages of these two venerable faiths, (which are addressed to the whole world, btw) there is much that is drawn from the traditional and folk cultures of East Asia in both Hinduism and Buddhism as well. - These cultures are vastly older than the modern Western culture of the Western Hemisphere which has given rise to My Little Pony. There's also the issue of how technology and pop culture effects our lives in a different manner than the conditions which created and developed Hinduism and Buddhism. - Ours is not primarily a pre-industrial, largely rural society which was recently pantheistic, or organized on a tribal basis. On the other hand, we are still human beings, and in another sense, there is nothing new under the sun. We still have our myths, and folktales and fables and folk heros. They come to us from Hollywood, the old stuff is constantly being recycled by Disney. Any form of mass media can transmit our narratives and the creative history of our culture to us. And, it also lives within all of us, just as in the minds of people outside of western culture. There's no difference. Their stories are rooted in their culture. We receive Star Wars from the big screen and truly bring it to life within us in our own headcanons. So many souls, so many multiverses. - Ours is as vital and meaningful as anyone else's. It's profoundly self defeating to feel otherwise. Don't be ashamed of your franchises or of your own headcanon. There is no other like yours. - Okay, building on this point: A great many highly qualified religious people from the East whom I've spoken to all make the same point, time and again in their own words: - What matters is the effect your practice has on you. What matters is where the scriptures lead you when you go beyond them, as eventually you must. It's all about what you want to do with this life. Do you want to be reborn in the celestial realms and be a demi God, fine. There's a way to do that. Do you want to become knowledgeable and wise only to become an Opaline or a Discord? You can do that too. Or you can work towards really transcending all of it. Probably gonna take a couple rounds. There's nothing "wrong" with any of it, but everything comes with its trade-offs. - All the scriptures, prayers, chants, rituals, temples, practices and austerities are just tried and true ways to help you get where you're going. But they are generally understood to not be the only ways. - Sure some scripturalists and elitists will assert that strict adherence is the only way, or the best way, but they are a minority. The general consensus is that no GOOD step ever goes to waste. - So, whatever confers merit upon you, or uplifts you, or makes you treat other people more kindly, whatever it may be, if that is the effect it has on you, and if it speaks to you then use that. Just as well to stick with something that works than feel you have to try something more "profound". Be practical. Your route is your best route, why should you take someone else's? - So, anyone and anything can be a guide to your betterment and enlightenment, if it has the right attributes to give rise to that within you. This absolutely does include My Little Pony. - For how many years now have we loudly been singing the show's praises? How long have we waxed lyrical about the wonderful values and lessons which MLP offers, in a language that both kids and adults can understand? - Christ said, lest you become as little children you shall not enter the Kingdom. Buddhism understands babies to be much closer to their Buddha Nature than adults are. So, that My Little Pony speaks to both children and adults, that is very much worth taking careful note of. - Anyone reading this essay already knows that very well. I restate it because, even if we know that, sometimes we just stop there. It is one thing to intellectually understand that there is great depth and profundity to My Little Pony. It is another thing entirely to ever do much with it. - Certainly, it's never wasted, that's not a correct view. Anyone who watches My Little Pony sincerely and attentively and keeps it with them will become a better person. That will in turn effect the lives of others around them for the better, and it will spread. Indeed, there's certainly nothing wrong or lacking in that. But you absolutely can go into much further depth than that. - So, to conclude this first section. I believe that I have demonstrated that whatever my proffered chants may be, they are not a flippantly made joke in bad taste. At the least, I believe I've demonstrated my sincerity. In the second section, I want to go into more detail about what the chants mean. This should serve as a further evidence that the deep profundity and good values of MLP can be manifested in novel and spiritual ways beyond just compassionate acts toward others. MLP can also be turned inwardly to purify our consciousness and lead us into the Light, or whichever other good places we may be trying to go. The Second Section - Alicorn Princesses who serve the Good, can be understood as Bodhisattvas. The undergo a long period of training, study and service. They then rule justly and work hard for the betterment of all created beings in Equestria, not just the ponies. Their compassion is universal. The have powerful magic and are seemingly immortal or very, very long living. Yet they remain among the mortal ponies and care for them and protect them and guide them toward the path of Right Action. Thus they are also protectors of the Dharma. They do not neglect to train their successors, so they maintain the disciplic succession of teacher and student. And most importantly of all, again, their teachings are non-sectarian and universal, addressed to all created beings. Even us humans can learn from them. When Karma Yoga, the path of Right Action is needed, Alicorn Princesses are not weak or recalcitrant. An Alicorn Princess who does not walk the path that Opaline did will certainly have achieved a high degree of Bodhichitta. So, as Bodhisattvas, it is not inappropriate to dedicate a chant to them. - All the most important features we would be looking for are here. It's not about changing your religion, or making a religion out of MLP, or whether or not Westerners can or cannot practice Eastern religions. MLP is not going to lead you astray as a human being. The good values and the right lessons are in there. - Again, all of this therefore DOES entitle an Alicorn Princess to have a chant dedicated to her. If you understand that chant, and meditate upon it and visual her, it WILL purge and purify your consciousness, and you will be the better for it. - Pony Consciousness is compassionate consciousness. Of course, ponies are not perfect, they too suffer and fall astray and act out of ignorance greed and hate. They are not Buddhas or Jivanmuktis. But you have to ask yourself, is the difference between them and us enough of a difference to make a difference? The answer is yes. MLP may teach us important lessons and values for the human condition, but it is not about us, it's about the ponies. They teach us from a position further along the path to Enlightenment. - Even the best of us spend considerable portions of our lives struggling to live with damage, hatred, fear, stupidity (there, I said it) and confusion. Look at our world, and look at Equestria. Need I say more? No, Equestria isn't perfect, but it is what a friend of mine once called a Halcyon. He spoke of several different Halcyons. I wonder whether or not he had learned of Equestria, long before the rest of us. A Halcyon is a place we are trying to get to, if only inwardly. And that right there is where the chants come in. - The chants all feature Om. Om is very misunderstood. It is merely the totality of all reality. The humming of reality. You can call it God, or not. Even atheists can ascribe a purely material significance to it. You can feel it as the Force if you are a Jedi. It is the constant creation, sustainment and destruction of all reality. It is everything. So if that's where you are trying to go, pairing that with the name of an enlightened being who speaks to you can help you get there. You need only say their name, visualize them and entrust yourself to their example and teachings. - Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, among many other magical powers, are the controllers of the Sun and the Moon, that's great power, so those are their aspects that I highlighted in their chants. - In the case of Twilight Sparkle, the chant focuses on her light of the stars, as per her cutie mark, and her great learning and wisdom. It's a play on words. Her Radiant starlight that spans the entire cosmos is the same as her illuminated learning and wisdom. - As the Alicorn Princess of Love, Princess Cadence is an Avatara of Shakti Herself. Possibly, her power may be the greatest of any of them. - A chant can be written in any language, but Sanskrit is, I daresay, especially suited to it. In my opinion, English is less so, but that's just my opinion. But I cannot reiterate this enough, the chanting of Om is not a Hindu activity per se. Don't take my word for it, read Sri Swami Satchidananda Saraswati's commentary on the Yoga Sturas of Patanjali. Swami is urgent to explain how the chanting of Om can help anyone, everywhere no matter what they do or do not believe. Many Buddhist authorities are unanimous that, practiced correctly and for long enough, Mindfulness mediation alone can get someone to Buddhahood. That's not common, but again, it's not about what your religion is. - That said, the many parallels between My Little Pony and the most profound, universal, non-sectarian teachings of the East should not be overlooked. We are majorly missing out if we do so. Or at least, we are majorly missing out if we stop at merely admiring the Ponies and trying to emulate them piecemeal, part of the time. MLP can have a transformative and healing effect on our inner lives. I have discovered that Equestria has so much more to offer in addition to its lessons about how to act. And it is in that spirit that these four chants have humbly been offered to everyone.

Pinkie Pie has a habit of replicating herself and can outrun or maneuver even RD on some occasions. You can't really seal a fireplace against her...one never knows when one might turn around and find her regarding you with one of those blindingly toothy grins!

Welcome, this place is great, you're sure to make new connections and go deeper into Equestria here on MLP Forums!

Welcome to MLP Forums, this is a great community! Rarity is always a favorite of mine too!

My main goal is just another point of positive contact with people online. If I get that, this will all be worth it. I have many goals relating to MLP and this forum already has furthered some of those and will hopefully further others in due time.

None now. I used to have two, Simon (Oh You Simonides) and Gracie. Simon was a modern Siamese monkey cat, Grace was just a Sylvester Tuxedo. They had been togther since they were kittens. Gods do I miss them.

My keys and my wallet.

How do I show my love and tolerance to people? This is a good one. It's more a matter of what I don't do. - I don't kick people out of my life over their use of meme words I might not like, or anything they say or do on social media or the internet. - When people say something I don't agree with, I don't start a pointless conversation to make sure they know we disagree. Unless there's a compelling reason to agree to disagree, the whole matter can sometimes be side stepped completely. It's called tact. Or self control. Or keeping my mouth shut. - I don't place myself in the role of self appointed gate keeper or reeducator just because people do things I don't like. If it isn't hurting anyone, if it isn't causing a problem for me...the world does not conform to my idea of how it should be. I've learned to be grateful for that. - In my line of work, there is the occupational hazard of seeing the worst in people, so I make an effort to help them. I suppose this one is more about love than tolerance. - What else? I've learned not to dump the entirety of my bad day on everyone around me, all the darn time. - The adversity I have had to confront and weather has taken a toll and left marks. But I am not a victim. The world does not owe me anything. People on the street do not owe me anything. The government does not owe me anything that it doesn't owe to everyone. It all boils down to not going and doing or saying dumb, unkind things to people. If I can avoid that, the issue largely does not even arise much.

1, 2, 4, 6 and 7 are the best I can do. To explain each one of these would require its own me-style mega post.

Mr. Spock, not Leonard Nimoy, who narrated many films and documentaries, but Mr. Spock himself. Of course, Mr. Spock played by Leonard would have been ideal, but I will happily accept Ethan Peck, happily. Not the reboot guy though, he just never quite nailed it for me.

Boots. I only wear tennis shoes or sneakers if I am exercising. Otherwise I wear boots. I have to for work, but I am very hard on my footwear for some reason. I don't try to be. I usually wear 5-11 or Bates.

I have made sure my brother and Dad know that if anything were to happen, I had best be cremated. My mom is agast at the whole concept of cremation, but I only discovered that recently. I've told my Dad, if he were to put me in a coffin, I'd wait till the quietest moment of the Fun-O-Reel, and punch my fist right through the lid. Then I'm gonna get outta that thing and treat everyone to my cover version of Rob Zombie's Superbeast. Then, I'll set the Hearst on Fire and Speed it down the interstate at top speed. I will cremate myself. No way they're putting me in a box to get eaten by worms and maggots. I'll become a re-interpretation of Frankenstein's creation before I lie in an overpriced cigar box. Sorry, I feel very strongly about this.

My ridiculous work uniform.

I'm a baritone, but it's scratchy and tortured and I speak with a boyish affect. I say uh too much. I use too many big words. People don't like it. I do well with traditional Christmas carols and minor key songs and chants. My voice is decent for narration, and all my viewers no YouTube tell me I sound like the main character of my favorite franchise of computer games. I sorta do, sorta. I see what they're talking about. But the voice actor is Canadian, and I'm a midwestern American.

My worst teacher ever taught Fine Arts V, an AP art class in my senior year of high school. Jerk. For whatever reason, he didn't like me and made sure I knew it every day. I don't know or care what combination of personality disorders he may have been living with, there's no excuse to treat any young person the way he did. He kinda had tenure, he's one of those people who has a lot of street popularity, a person who gets praised by people who don't even know him, just to sound cool themselves. Cause it was high school, no one wanted to be sympathetic that he was making my life difficult. I didn't like that guy. I still don't like that guy, whether or not he's croaked yet. I need to stop this before I say anything else.

I've never really been able to figure Discord out. I use it for one to one chats and voice calls with some of my gamer fans. The user interface is just perplexing to me. Worse, the conversations in large servers just make no sense. I have the app on my phone and the full application on my desktop. While they're not entirely the same, for me, it's more or less the same deal. The app isn't terribly easy to use, it's gimmiky and it makes me feel old. Bleh.

I love my parents. My relationship with both of them is far from ideal. That doesn't mean that they are automatically abusive, or that I am an ingrate. Regardless of any of that, my family has stayed loyal to itself, to each other, and that is the most important thing. Anyway, when you realize they're not gonna be around terribly much longer, your perspective on a lot of things changes.