Headstone for Henry B Pinkston 1828-1887

Recently, as of June 2012, a headstone was added to the grave of Henry B. Pinkston, who was my Great, Great Grandfather.

The location is in the Pinkston Cemetery which is in Panola County, Texas, about one mile south of the Galloway Community and just north of the Sabine River. This would be just off Panola County Road 455 about the place where CR 4553 forks off to the west.

It was put up with the gracious assistance of a Sons of Confederate Veterans association.
During the Civil War, Henry was a private in Company H of the 45th Alabama Regiment, which was known as the Dixie Sledge Guards.

He was captured sometime after the Battle of Franklin, and paroled in May 1865.

The Pinkston Cemetery was overgrown, and hardly marked for years, likely due to its location off in the woods and truly off the beaten path.

In late October of this year there will be a ceremony at the grave-site in remembrance. I post this in the hopes that any genealogy searcher may find the information useful. I will add another entry perhaps after the observation is held later on this month.

A Buddhist view of Heaven

 

The general Buddhist view often talks about two or three different heavens.(1) First, when we use the word "heaven" we are usually referring to the normal, regular heavens that are know as "god realms". One such example is Tushita heaven. Though it is a higher realm, it is still in samsara. An indiviual is reborn in Tushita by performing a lot of good deeds and meritorious activities. After taking birth there, he or she can continue to progress along the path and develop realization.

(2) Second, there is a category of very special heavens known as "purelands", such as that of Amitabha, the Five Dhyani Buddhas, or other enlightened beings. These heavens are not in samsara, but not everyone who inhabits them is totally enlightened - - -some may be high-level bodhisattvas. Again, one continues to to progress and develop realization in these purelands. (3) Finally the "ultimate heaven" is experienced upon reaching enlightenment, because the very moment you awaken is the true heaven. We could also call this "eternal heaven", since an enlightened being can never revert to samsara. All positive qualities have already been fully perfected, so there is nothing more to develop. We can thus describe enlightenment as the state of absolute heaven, which is completely free from all negativities, afflictive emotions, and obscurations. Even the stains of habitual patterns have been completely cleared away. This is how Mahayana Buddhism understands the concept of " heaven".

from pg. 188 of Splendid Presence of the Great Guhyagharbha by Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche

She Lives in a Time of her Own- Judybats version

Of course this is a version of the ole 13th Floor Elevators song done by The Judybats. I kinda like it:

feeling in time - - - Spirit

This is a song from Spirit's Spirit of 76 album; released in 1976.

Warp, Woof and Pattern of Time :quote by Pynchon

“Perhaps history this century, thought Eigenvalue, is rippled with gathers in its fabric such that if we are situated, as Stencil seemed to be, at the bottom of a fold, it's impossible to determine warp, woof, or pattern anywhere else. By virtue, however, of existing in one gather it is assumed there are others, compartmented off into sinuous cycles each of which had come to assume greater importance than the weave itself and destroy any continuity. Thus it is that we are charmed by the funny-looking automobiles of the '30's, the curious fashions of the '20's, the particular moral habits of our grandparents. We produce and attend musical comedies about them and are conned into a false memory, a phony nostalgia about what they were. We are accordingly lost to any sense of continuous tradition. Perhaps if we lived on a crest, things would be different. We could at least see.” ― Thomas Pynchon, V.

Jorma Kaukonen playing Genesis -2010

A Video of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche:

Great song by the 13th Floor Elevators

Posted the lyrics to this song in 2006. Here is a more recent YouTube of the song Nobody to Love:

Final Rites in Bhutan for Thinley Norbu Rinpoche

A last lesson in impermanence

"Thousands attend the last rites of the Nyingmapa master
Purjang : Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche.

The significance of impermanence became Holiness Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche’s last teaching to more than 15,000 devotees gathered for the purjang (cremation) in Lango, Paro on March 3. Watch video

“It’s just an example of impermanence shown by an enlightened master,” a monk, Dorji Wangchuk, from Mysore Namdroling Ngajur Nyingma institute, who came to get Rinpoche’s last blessings, said. “For Rinpoche, death is like changing his old clothes; but to us it’s a reminder to realize the uncertainty of life.”

Thousands had camped in Dagophu gompa two to three days before the purjang to pay their last homage.

In the early hours of the purjang, coinciding with the 10th day of first Bhutanese month, the purkhang premises (crematorium) was already filled, and many sat on rocks, under pine trees, and the facing hillslope. The purkhang stood on an intricately carved dais, with a traditional roof over it, held by four pillars painted in Bhutanese design.

The purjang ceremony began at four in the morning, with the kudung housed in a small temple. The sound of religious instruments, especially drums and ritual bells, filled the entire Dagophu village in the silent and chilly morning.

Facing the purkhang from the west, the reincarnation of His Holiness Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorji, Sangay Pema Rinpoche, performed the Dorji Sempai lachoepa (Vajrasattava).

Facing the purkhang from the north, south and east, the reincarnation of Lam Sonam Zangpo, the reincarnation of Bartsam Lam, Pema Wangchen, and Yonphula Rinpoche Jigme Tenzin performed throema tshogkhor (offering), surrounded by thousands of throema practitioners, all chanting with ritual drums and bells.

At around 8:30am, as the ceremony offering continued, the kudung was escorted to the purkhang in a religious ceremonial procession, led by their eminences Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche and Dungzin Garab Rinpoche. Devotees folded their hands, closed their eyes, and made prostrations.

The kudung was dressed as Long Kui Choe (Sambhogakaya), one of the three manifested bodies of Buddha. The head was dressed with the tshuktor (hair-knot), rignga (five crowns of Buddha) right below the hair-knot, thug gen (precious ornaments like coral and cat’s eye) adorned on the neck, drilbu (ritual bell) on the left hand, and dorji (Vajra) on the right hand, with special bracelets worn on both the arms. The legs were in dorji kultung (meditation posture). The lower part of the body was adorned with white silk, and upper torso dressed in fine brocade. The face was painted with gold to the appearance of Dorji Sampa (Vajrasattva), said sculptor Karma, who was involved in the painting.

The kudung was placed in the purkhang in Sambhogakaya and visualised as the Kilkhor (mandala). Sangay Pema Rinpoche, who led the main ceremony, was also dressed in Sambhogakaya, with special bone ornaments worn across the shoulder.

As Khandro Kuenzang lit the fire, facing the purkhang, the two daughters of Dungse Rinpoche, Pema Choki and Kesang Wangmo, from right and left, accompanied by his younger son Ugyen Namgyel, lit the kudung from the other directions, while the two elder sons, Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse and Dungzin Garab Rinpoche, offered various objects in the fire ceremony.

Devotees offered khadars, seeking blessings of the kudung, as the smoke touched the roof of the purkhang. While Bhutanese devotees made up most of the people attending the purjang, there were also disciples and students from America, Europe and Asia. More than a hundred lams and trulkus from outside were also there.

Their Majesties the Queen Mothers, Ashi Tshering Yangdon Wangchuck and Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck, were present. The government was represented by the prime minister, Jigmi Y Thinley, and cabinet ministers.

Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, who passed away on December 27 in the United States, was a primary holder of the Dudjom Tersar lineage, a collective name for the large collection of terma teachings revealed by his late father.

Born in 1931 in Kongpo, Tibet, to His Holiness Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorji and Sangyum Kusho Tseten Yudron, Dungse Rinpoche was the chief architect of the Thimphu Memorial chorten, which he built under the guidance of his father.

Many devotees circumbulated the purkhang all day long. Some prayed in silence, while other chanted in groups for the swift re-birth of Dungse Rinpoche to continue his turning the dharma wheel.

The purthel (ashes) and kuri (bones) will be collected after five days and made into tsa tsa (miniature conical figure) offerings, tsampa Sonam of Bartsham said."

By Tenzin Namgyel, Paro
- - - from Kuensel online

Dudjom Tersar Empowerments

love this for the singing:
Dudjom Tersar Empowerments by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche In Spiti Valley

from an Interview with Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche in Kuensel:

How do you reconcile the phenomenon of reincarnation and continuity with the fundamental Buddhist principal of impermanence?

The one who is asking this kind of question seem to insinuate that reincarnation and Impermanence are contradictions. But its not because reincarnation is the very essence of impermanence. In order to understand reincarnation, you have to appreciate law of time. Do you believe in time? Might as well believe in reincarnation. As a Buddhist, if you ask me if I believe in reincarnation and impermanence, I would say, ultimately no, relatively yes. A scientist who kind of raise their eyebrows on reincarnation and just blindly says, see you tomorrow, is stupid. If reincarnation is stupid, time is stupid. That’s why they are relative. But stupid does not mean they are useless. Many stupid things are useful.

Saraghina, la rumba! la rumba!

One of my favorite scenes from 8 1/2. Must have seen this movie over 30 times at least!

More Morricone: Party Song

One of my favorite songs by Ennio Morricone: Party Song. I see Goldie Hawn and Judy Carne when I hear this:

Jin Lab

I came across this passage in Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse by Anne Klein:


"All the foundational practices move energy through the body; this is one element of their profundity.

Tibetans attribute the power of their practices, transmissions, and lamas to a type of energy known as "waves of splendor" (pronounced jin lab, rhymes with pin drop"). The first syllable, jin, means "that which has been given or bestowed," as in bestowed by the king." Jin also means "grace", or "gift", and , in some contexts, "splendor". The second syllable, lab, means "wave", like the waves of the ocean. Early Tibetan kings were considered to be direct descendants of the gods, and so these kings were imbued with supernatural qualities such as jin - - pomp, splendor, and magnificence.

Transmission is understood to occur through subtle flows of splendor carrying all the knowledge and energetic patterning held by one awakened person to another in the process of awakening. Thus, the jin lab that began as the splendor of kings later became, in Buddhist understanding, the waves of grace, or surges of splendor that are the most profound gifts of the lamas. This is what comes through the mind body in practice. This is what is transmitted from teacher to student through teachings and, most explicitly, through initiations. The teacher's presence allows a full transmission of the blessings embedded in their being to be communicated. Still the ultimate source of blessings is reality itself, chonyi. In this way, blessings are reality releasing its intrinsic energy to practitioners,until they recognize the source for what it is.

Put another way, practice allows one to recognize experientially that transmission emanates from the same reality to which it points." - - -pg 9

Andrew Breitbart- prototypical Fascist

Andrew Breitbart shows his true colors when OWS shows up at CPAC:

Eva La Venere Selvaggia -by Robert Pregadio

Continuing in my explorations of Italian cinema soundtracks I came across this cool tune from 1969 attributed to Robert Pregadio. Pretty sure the band is I Marc 4.

The Kudung of H.H. Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche returns to Bhutan

"The kudung (body) of His Holiness Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, who passed away on December 27 in the United States, is scheduled to arrive in Paro on February 1, where the purjang (cremation) ceremony will be held.

The final rites will take place on March 3 on a plot of land in Lango facing taktshang monastery in keeping with the last wishes of the Dungse Rinpoche.

The secretary of Rangjung foundation, Phub Dorji Tangbi, said the kudung will be taken to Rangjung monastery, Trashigang, by the domestic air services on February 5 where it will remain for public viewing until February 10.

It will then be taken to Chador Lhakhang in Bartsam for three days and for two days to Ugyen Dongag Chokhorling monastery in Yonphula, before being flown back to Paro on February 15.

“The kudung is being taken to Trashigang to give an opportunity to disciples and devotees there, who cannot afford to come to Paro, to see the kudung,” His Eminence Garab rinpoche said.

A 25 feet tall chorten is being built to house the kudung for the purjang. Until the purjang, the kudung will be kept in a room where devotees and visitors can offer prayers Tsampa Mahakala from Rangjung monastery said.

The purjang ceremony will be conducted by the reincarnation of late Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorji, Tulku Sangye Pema, who is a son of Dudjom rinpoche. Late Dungse Rinpoche was the eldest son of Dudjom rinpoche.

Tsmapa Mahakala said the last wish of His Holiness Dungse Rinpoche was to be cremated at a location where the Takstang monastery can be seen, it was decided the cremation would take place on a plot of land in Lango owned rinpoche which is facing Taktsang.

The government is facilitating preparations like pitching tents, collecting firewood and building a temporary access road. “We are providing labour support as well,” cabinet secretary Dasho Tashi Phuntshog said.

His Holiness Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche was a primary holder of the Dudjom Tersar lineage, a collective name for the large collection of terma teachings revealed by his late father.

He was born in 1931 in Tibet and is widely recognised as an emanation of the great master Longchenpa, one of most deeply revered masters of the Nyingma lineage. He is father of Dzongsar Khyentser rinpoche, Garab rinpoche, trulku Jampal and trulku Ugyen.

Dungse Rinpoche was the chief architect of the Thimphu Memorial chorten, which he built under the guidance of his father. It was built in 1974 to honour the memory of the third King, His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (1928-72).

Rinpoche lived in Bhutan since the mid ‘50s. He left Bhutan in the mid ‘70s in deferment to the directives of his father to teach in the West. Since then, Rinpoche has been residing in upstate New York.

His Holiness last visited Bhutan in October 2009, on the invitation of Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinley.

He passed away in Palm Desert, California, on December 27 last year. He was 81 years. The kudung was later taken to upstate New York."

By Tenzin Namgyel ---- from the Kuensel