#Paramita answers

[artisticmoonfall]

I'm confused, who even raised Paramita in the first place?

Paramita: "Technically speaking, no one really raise me, I raise myself. I was born from my dearest 'mother' and left alone to die or get eaten by other demons. However, being born two powerful deities and one of them Sun Wukong, means I inherited his several immortals and intelligent. Therefore I physically and mentally grow far faster than any normal deity child."

[sketching-shark]

a question how bad or disrespectful would it be to use the name as king paramita for an oc I really like the way it sounds It sounds like the name of a perfectionist character, someone who always seeks efficiency as a personal goal. I don't know, that's what it transmits to me

Thanks for the question anon! And as far as I'm aware using the name King Paramita for an oc wouldn't be disrespectful at all.

From what little I know the word "Pāramitā" is a Sanskrit term often translated as "perfection," and that it is used in Buddhism to describe the character of enlightened beings, or the paths bodhisattvas must follow to become true buddhas. And you wouldn't be the first to use it for an OC! The author of the unofficial side-journey for Journey to the West called A Supplement to the Journey to the West (published in 1640), after all, involves Sun Wukong meeting his "son" King Pāramitā in an illusion created by a goldfish demon.

So given this, "King Pāramitā" sounds like a pretty good name for an oc who's a perfectionist! That said, if you're still feeling uncertain about it you may want to do more research into Buddhism, and particularly Mahāyāna Buddhism, to get a better sense of how this term is commonly used and why your oc may have that name.

Of course, it again can't be forgotten that "King Pāramitā" is the name of someone's oc from the 1600s who was there to be a "what-if" scenario/mess with Sun Wukong's mind, so take that precedent as you will XD

I'm also linking @journeytothewestresearch's article on the fan children that people have come up with for the Monkey King over the centuries, as it gives more detail into what said oc does in A Supplement to the Journey to the West, as well as gets more into the term "Pāramitā" in Buddhism:

[therpkingparamitablog]

Wukong stepped a little bit in front of MK, wary of this stranger. "And what exactly is your plan here?"

MK peered over at Paramita from behind Wukong’s shoulder. It was strange how similar yet different both he and Wukong were. "Do you know their name? I could help you find them, or Mei could help too she's really good at finding people on the internet," - 🌷

Paramita glared at Wukong, feeling his blood pressure go up.

His father always seemed to press Paramita's buttons just right.

"To get back to my own timeline, Wukong." Paramita said with obvious spite in his voice. "I'd like to get back as soon as possible."

Paramita's attention was caught by the human.

He wondered if there was a version of this guy in his own timeline.

"Their name was I believe was Yu." Paramita answered MK.

[mentality-of-wukong-au]

Shi-Ku: we are going to the celestial realm. We might find answers…

Paramita: Alright…I’ll see you later?

Jia Chunhua: We’ll be back brother.

[pamgkrthwrites]

Writing process report:

Wrote 500 words on a fanfic, went to the shops for medicine, and wrote up and edited the opening for the Paramita blog. Back to answering asks tomorrow.

[modernmonkeymind]

Hi, friend, MMM! How are you feeling today? How is your job and family going? Just want to say, you seem like a good man. :) May I please ask what is on your recommended reading list for secular Buddhists like me (I'm a beginner still). I want to be a better person. I have printed out and am currently reading your recommendation to me, Merit by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu and highlighting and annotating it. Would it be all right if I asked you questions about this study guide when I have them? TY! ✨

I welcome your questions, though I can’t promise answers. In terms of further recommendations, I highly recommend Thich Nhat Hanh. Specifically miracle of mindfulness, awakening of the heart and the other shore, and old path white clouds. Miracle is one of Tháy’s earliest and best books, an introduction to mindfulness meditation less as a dry manual and more as a lived experience. It’s important to understand that formal practice is important, critical even, but if it doesn’t come with us off the cushion and the walking path it is not and cannot be firmly rooted. Awakening is an omnibus of Tháy’s translations and commentaries on important sutras, including the heart, diamond, mindfulness of breathing, four foundations of mindfulness and others. The other shore is a more recent translation and commentary by Thich Nhat Hanh of the heart sutra. Both it and the one included in awakening are excellent and well worth studying. Old path white clouds is a biographical novel about the life of the Buddha based on the pali and Sanskrit sutras, and includes many of the Buddha’s most important teachings. Rebel Buddha by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche is also an excellent intro to the practice of the Dharma. If you’re willing to venture a bit outside of your comfort zone, I highly recommend the following: Indestructible Truth by Reggie Ray, This Precious Life by Khandro Rinpoche, the Six Perfections: the Practice of the Bodhisattvas by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Indestructible Truth is an overview of the main schools as well as Hinayana and Mahayana paths within Tibetan/Himalayan Buddhism. It’s important to understand here that Hinayana and Theravada are not the same thing. Hinayana is a level of practice focused on personal cultivation that can lead to liberation but can also open us to the Mahayana. This Precious Life is focused on the teaching of the four thoughts that turn the mind, a foundational teaching in Tibetan Mahayana that acts as both an alternate approach to the four noble truths, and an alternate form of the five subjects for frequent recollection in Theravada. In Tibetan Buddhism these are summarized as preciousness of human birth, impermanence, the suffering of the six realms, and karma, though each of these is unfolded in a paragraph giving more depth that is then commented on and explained. The Six Perfections are virtues to be cultivated, as well as practices (the eightfold path can be found embedded in the six as shila, dhyana, and prajña Paramitas). These are seen as so important that for a Bodhisattva they replace the 8FNP as the fourth noble truth (though as I mentioned before they also contain the 8FNP within them).

[the-iron-orchid]

I always try to answer asks in good faith, despite tumblr being the known Bad Faith Capital of the World, because:

a) not everyone is great at expressing themselves in writing, or they may simply not know a thing

b) an overtly negative or mocking response just makes people double down (though some asks deserve it, lbr)

c) someone reading the exchange down the line might need to see it

d) it’s a tenet of my own belief system to be charitable (dana paramita)

I don’t always succeed, mind you... but I have to try.

[tsultrimpawo]

I have continued to study the hinayana (foundational) Buddhist teachings and practice the mahayana path, primarily Lojong and the paramitas. I took bodhisattva vows in 2014 and within a year had numerous life teachings in the form of 'difficulties'. I will likely be given vajrayana teachings within the next 12-18 months as a part of the current path to teacher training.

There have been many 'demons from the past' (a Gangaji quote) in the form of old unresolved trauma from childhood and early adulthood. This has been difficult but very valuable.

The name I was given as my 'bodhisattva name' is Tsültrim Pawo. This translates to 'discipline warrior' or 'disciple of courage'. It's an apt name that was a kind of forecast of what was to come in the years to follow. An outgrowth of this has been a much greater capacity for compassion. I see the world (people, places, events, health/illness) as a mirror. The mirror reflects lessons (pleasant, unpleasant and neutral) which need to be addressed, yet the mirror itself remains clear and free of blemishes.

I find it fascinating that within 18 months of the vows came lessons in forgiveness around family and friends like I had not seen before.

At the same time I experienced these difficulties, I met my sat guru, Gangaji. I remain a Buddhist on paper but in my heart I am nothing (this still makes me chuckle). Satsang with her opened something that was ripe but had not falllen from the tree. Realization of Self makes the path interesting and filled with wonder. Events, people, places and things come and go but something ineffable, clear and spacious remains....that which contains all the comings and goings. I'm not sure what is happening, but am open to that which manifests. I sense that I will teach in some capacity, but have no clue what that will look like, nor do I know what's next.

Years ago, I came across something at a time of uncertainty that has stayed with me ever since.... it also captures the 'flavor' of my journey. I will share it with you now:

"Sometimes I feel that my life is a series of trapeze swings. I’m either hanging on to a trapeze bar swinging along or, for a few moments in my life, I’m hurling across space in between trapeze bars.

"Most of the time, I spend my life hanging on for dear life to my trapeze-bar-of-the-moment. It carries me along a certain steady rate of swing and I have the feeling that I’m in control of my life. I know most of the right questions and even some of the right answers. But once in a while, as I’m merrily (or not so merrily) swinging along, I look ahead of me into the distance, and what do I see? I see another trapeze bar swinging toward me. It’s empty, and I know, in that place in me that knows, that this new trapeze bar has my name on it. In my heart-of-hearts I know that in order for me to grow, I must release my grip on the present, well-known bar to move to the new one.

"Each time it happens to me, I hope (no, I pray) that I won’t have to grab the new one. But in my knowing place I know that I must totally release my grasp on my old bar, and for some moment in time I must hurtle across space before I can grab onto the new bar. Each time I am filled with terror. It doesn’t matter that all my previous hurtles across the void of unknowing I have always made it. Each time I am afraid I will miss, that I will be crushed on unseen rocks in the bottomless chasm between the bars. But I do it anyway. Perhaps that is the essence of what the mystics call the faith experience. No guarantees, no net, no insurance policy, but you do it anyway because somehow, to keep hanging onto that old bar is no longer on the list of alternatives. And so for an eternity that can last a microsecond or a thousand lifetimes, I soar across the void of “the past is gone, the future is not yet here.” It’s called transition. I have come to believe that it is the only place that real change occurs. I mean real change, not the pseudo-change that only lasts until the next time that my old buttons get punched.

"I have noticed that, in our culture, this transition zone is looked upon as a “no-thing” a no-place between places. Sure the old trapeze bar was real, and the new one coming towards me, I hope that is real too. But the void between? That’s just a scary, confusing, disorienting “nowhere” that must be gotten through as fast and as unconsciously as possible. What a waste! I have a sneaking suspicion that the transition zone is the only real thing, and the bars are illusions we dream up to avoid the void, where the real change, the real growth occurs for us. Whether or not my hunch is true, it remains that the transition zones in our lives are incredibly rich places. They should be honored, even savored. Yes, with all the pain and fear and feelings of being out-of-control that can (but not necessarily) accompany transitions, they are still the most alive, most growth-filled, passionate, expansive moments in our lives.

"And so, transformation of fear may have nothing to do with making fear go away, but rather with giving ourselves permission to “hang-out” in the transition between the trapeze bars. Transforming our need to grab that new bar, any bar, is allowing ourselves to dwell in the only place where change really happens. It can be terrifying. It can also be enlightening, in the true sense of the word. Hurtling through the void, we may just learn to fly."

- From The Essene Book of Days

[blrowanduck]

Sorry, I have been away for awhile.

1. Bhumi palace

2. Look for me in another life

3 Wind Horse, in progress.

I will catch up as soon as I can.

Blessings on this FRIDAY, TARAS Birthday.

June 28th day of Namo Guru:

Homage to Guru Khyentse Ozer

Ten Bhumis of the Bodhisattvas

Question: Ven. Khenpo Tsewang Rinpoche, can you please describe the ten bhumis of the bodhisattvas?

Answer: First, I will list the names of the ten bhumis.

1. Extremely Joyful (rabtu dga’ba)

2. Stainless (drima medpa)

3. Luminous (’odbyed)

4. Blazing Light (’od ’phroba)

5. Challenged to Purify (sbyang dka’ba)

6. Actualizing (mngondu byedpa)

7. Going Far (ringdu songba)

8. Unshakable (mig yo ba)

9. Perfect Intelligence (legspa’i blogros)

10. Dharma Cloud (choskyi sprinpa)

Master Chandrakirti and many other teachers connected these ten with a teaching given by the Buddha known as the Ten Bhumi Sutra (Skt. Dasabhumikasutra). In this text, the ten bhumis are linked to the paramitas. You are already familiar with the sixth paramita of wisdom, or prajnaparamita. This wisdom paramita can be further divided four ways to make a total of ten paramitas. The seventh is called the paramita of skillful means, upaya). The eighth is the paramita of power (Tibetian: bala). The ninth paramita is wishes, or aspirations (Tibetian,Mon Lam: Sanscrit, Pranidhana). The tenth is the paramita of primordial wisdom (yeshes . jnana).

The first bhumi, Extremely Joyful, intensifies the quality of the first paramita, generosity. This doesn’t mean that the other paramitas are not there.... During the onset of the first bhumi, transcendental generosity practices are especially wonderful, freely shining and vibrating with bodhichitta. On the second bhumi, Stainless, transcendental morality ripens. This is followed by transcendental patience on the third bhumi, and continues like that to the tenth bhumi, Dharma Cloud. At this level, primordial wisdom is radiant and brilliant. This is the relation of the ten paramitas to the ten bhumis.

… When you enter the third path, which is the Path of Seeing. Seeing means you see directly what you’re meditating on. Until now, our meditation and understanding has been somewhat conceptual and theoretical. On the Path of Application, one has an increasingly clear intellectual understanding, but still relies on a conceptual element. On the Path of Seeing you now see things as they are, completely and directly. The Path of Seeing is also the first of the ten bhumi bodhisattva levels. On the first bhumi, you see the true nature exactly as it is.

This is followed by the fourth path, known as the Path of Meditation. Upon entering the Path of Meditation, you are on the second bhumi. The Path of Meditation is divided into nine levels, classified into three main groups of small, medium, and big, each of which is subdivided into small, medium, and big levels that represent the nine degrees of obscurations of knowledge that still remain. From the biggest of the big, to the smallest of the small, these also correspond to the remaining nine bhumis, from the second to the tenth. After the tenth bhumi, you enter the fifth Path of No More Learning. This is enlightenment, the culmination of the Five Paths and the realization of buddhahood.

Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche

Advice from a Spiritual Friend (pgs 225-226 and 173-174).

May all beings benefit...

[faith-f-writes-from-bk-to-b-blog]

To India & back

After demonstrating our willingness to learn in class, writing an essay to confirm this and having our professors’ recommendation, 15 City University of New York (CUNY) students were chosen to participate in a Study Abroad Program in India.

The program was designed to allow us a practical approach to sustainability from a global perspective. At the end, we were expected to gain knowledge on the theory and practice of sustainable development, bridge our traditions with the modern world, spirituality with science and wisdom with practice, and also create an opportunity for cultural exchange, thereby broadening our perspective on life. For the most part, we will be accommodated at Govardhan EcoVillage (GEV), a “biodiversity hotspot” just outside the city of Mumbai, but will visit the heart of Mumbai and other outlying communities for a few days. 

We are from 4 CUNY Schools – Bronx Community College, La Guardia Community College, Medgar Evers College and York College. 

Meet the budding scientist: 

• Daniella Amador

• Marcelis Arias 

• Wilkins Cerda 

• Absari Chowdhury 

• Faith Forde (Me 💁🏾‍♀️)

• Lisa Garcia 

• Nirmela Govinda

• Noshka González– Sanchez

• Jostin Guerrero

• Kayesha Hancel 

• Anida Palokaj

• Hemwattie Rampersaud 

• Kamau Straughan 

• Sparkle Sillim 

• Grissel De Jesus Sosa 

The actual scientists in charge of us: 

• Greg Bruce

• Dr. Neal Phillips 

• Paramita Sen 

• Dr. Derek Skeete

Join me, as I recap our yatra, through my eyes, to India & back. 

Feel free to ask questions. My colleagues, professors or I will try to answer your questions. 

[oru-kathai]

Ask and thou shall get it!

Subhajit Mondal and Paramita, a young millennial couple moved to Chennai with big dreams, they were adventurous so they decided to start their life with their one-year-old daughter in a city that was completely new. They wanted to live in a city where they had no relatives or friends, they wanted to start every relationship from the scratch. Subhajit was an IT professionals and Paramita a sales and marketing professional, though their job prospects weren’t all that great, they had been attracted to the old coastal city because it had the reputation of being the educational capital of India.

A month after they arrived in the city, they had to face the worst-case-scenario of their life, lock down and the extended shut down. Their life almost came to a standstill. No friends, no relatives, can’t meet neighbours, don’t know the local language. Both of them worked from home, so they took turns to do chores, take care of Diya and also manage their jobs from home, this word was a taboo word just a few weeks ago in their offices. For the first time they doubted their gut feeling.

Fortunately, they were both extremely optimistic about life, they always believed in hop on the other side of the dark tunnel. They began taking help from ‘google guru’ to pick up local language. Life was starting to become a brighter.

Then, they slowly unearthed a lot of app-based services which came to their rescue. Well, this needed no interaction, so it worked all the more to their advantage. They decided to try all of them, ones from any references, web suggestions, paper inserts, random searches.

One day, Paramita picked up a blue and grey infographic which said, “we are your personal assistants- OK Boss”, she liked the concept of the personal assistant. She placed a call. She the asked them for all kinds of things, routine stuff like get vegetables, groceries, medicines etc. She even asked them for the strangest of things one could think of - get new curtains for my room, baby sit my daughter- while I am at a meeting, get a list of organic milk suppliers, get the mixer repaired, want a deep clean for the house, source art items from a nearby store, get my door fixed. For every request asked, there was an answer, a solution and a personal assistant- OK Boss.

The couple never felt so cared for, it was like the universe conspired to be by their side to serve them each minute, each second. They found a friend an extended family in the new city they had moved into. OK Boss! simply Rocks!

[sketching-shark]

As you think what king paramita would look like, you have some idea of the clothes he wears, like his hairstyle, some image, I want to make a fanart of him for the only image he can find, it's not very helpful for me

Hmmmm well as far as I know @maidenofthecloud King Paramita is literally part of an illusion crafted specifically to trap the Monkey King, so I'd say that gives you a lot of free reign in his design as to how much like a monkey yao or how much like a human you want him to look! You may however want to keep in mind that in the "real" world Princess Iron Fan only had a son with the usually VERY yaoguai looking Demon Bull King, but it seems to commonly be taken as fact that Red Boy inherited very few, if any, yaoguai-ish traits from his father. And this one illustration of King Paramita makes him look like he has a completely human form. Not to say you have to stick with that of course, but it may be one thing to keep in mind! (Or it could be that he has both a human guise and a more monkey yaoguai-ish true form that he hates, given that from what I understand Xiyoubu puts Sun Wukong and King Paramita on very bad terms with each other). The other thing is that since in Xiyoubu King Paramita faces down Sun Wukong on a battlefield during the Tang dynasty, you may want to research the clothing, armor, and hair styles styles of upper-class and ruling individuals from that era to get a sense of how his appearance could be a little more "historically accurate." You may also want to look a little more into how Princess Iron Fan is portrayed, as she is A) supposed to be his mother and B) presumably the only parent who had any real role in his upbringing since its said that King Paramita facing down Sun Wukong on a battlefield was the first time the two had "met."

Hope that helps a little!

[therpkingparamitablog]

"Yu! I didn't say we were finished with drills yet."

The white tiger's ears twitched at the sound of Macaque’s voice snapping over her shoulder.

"Sorry, shifu. I think MK was trying to get a hold of me and -" Yu tried to explain to her mentor.

"I don't care. Next time I catch you on your phone, I'm eating it." Macaque’s arms were crossed in front of him. Yu, knowing that he wasn't joking, quickly tossed her phone over her shoulder with a quick 'sorry'

-

MK looked down at his phone with a small frown. "Huh, Yu usually picks up when I call."

"MK, focus." Wukong tried to get MK's attention as he stared down Paramita. "How'd you get here? Start at the beginning." - 🌷

Paramita felt his eye twitch from Wukong's voice.

This shithead was the same no matter the timeline he guessed.

"I was looking for someone, but they have people protecting them. One of these people opened up a portal." Paramita answered, not giving this version of his father the true answer. "I believe I've been sent to another timeline considering the changes I've already noticed."

MK eyes lit up. "Another timeline? You are telling me there are another version of me out there?!"

Paramita had a grossed out expression. "...I don't think I've ever met you in my own world if I must be honest with you."

[mentality-of-wukong-au]

Nezha! Paramita Is on the boat!

Nezha: Boat?

MK: Nezha! Tang’s not answering the phone!

[lasagnachronicles]

50 ZINES

collection of cool zines i found

1 - Book Your Own Fuckin’ Life 3

by Maximum RocknRoll + Rocco Publishing 1994

a diy resource guide into booking your life like a musician. laid out like a phonebook pretty neat

2 - bOING bOING Issue 02

by Mark Frauenfelder and Carla Sinclair 1988

influence in the development of the cyberpunk subculture. It reached a maximum circulation of 17,500 copies

themes include technology, futurism, science fiction, gadgets, intellectual property, Disney and left-wing politics

3 - Nightly Walk

by Joseph Park 2018

about inspiration and creation

12 x 16.1 cm, 28pages / 3-color Riso Print, limited edition of 333

4 - incompleteness of the moment

by Olya Andrushchenko 2019

consists of my personal photos, mostly random photos of places I've been to during my summer vacation in my hometown

5 - Anathema

by Hector Kimura 2015

inspired by philosophical concepts and their creators

Launched by Olho Vivo at the Feira Plana  +  risography at  Meli-Melo Press

6 - All The Pieces Fit Together 

by Kristina Alijošiūtė 2018

consisting of paper collages and their visual explanations, revealing details usually left unnoticed inside the final composition

Risograph print in crimson, flat gold & black by Drucken3000 Risografie, Berlin

7 - Round Hours

by Yeji Yun 2018

printed by Knust Press, Extrapool in Netherlands

just about some cats

8 - Pale Blue Dot

by Meli-Melo Press, São Paulo 2019

Blue Dot is a photograph of the Earth taken on February 14, 1990, by the Voyager 1 spacecraft

9 - Zine of Mouse

by Bobby Bao 2020

exactly what you think it would be

10 - Rain Drops & Broken Hearts

by Leanna Perry 2018

Complex illustrated patterns weave in and out of stark black and white supergraphics 

Nostalgia for early 2000’s Myspace emo graphics bleeds out of heavily adorned diamonds, butterflies, razorblades and traditional black metal lettering

11 - Flash Zine

by Jake Foreman 2017

Rubber band bound Risograph prints

200x280mm 28 pages 100gsm Kaskad Curlew Cream paper

Limited edition of 50. Signed and numbered

12 - Tohoku Zine Travelogue

by Ryan Len 

made for The Workbench

documents topics and travels of interest, with the inaugural issue about Ryan's life changing trip to Tohoku, an area badly hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami

features a french fold binding, allowing readers to peek between the pages and beneath the surface, uncovering his thoughts

13 - Countries and Cities #02

by Paul Katterl 

made for Sketchbox

a series of zines displaying pictures from foreign places

all photographs shot in 35mm film

14 - GON Comic Zine

by Kosco Kosco 2018

15 - OPIO Zine Second Edition

by a collection of artists 2019

printed magazine about latin american art and design

16 - DISC GOLF IS NOT GOLF

by Galya Dautova 2018

one page zine about differences between disc golf and golf

17 - Overprint Zine

by Anna Linder 2015

Self-initiated project Since I learned the screenprinting technique, I have been very fascinated by the result you get from reusing the same paper for test prints, with a totally random combination of images layered on each other.

cut down to a4 and created handbound zines

18 - The Darknet Zine

by Kasia Wieteska 2017

made for Be Polska

19 - Sudario

by Atto 2014

Design and Risograph-print of Sudario. A photographic fanzine curated by The View From Lucania.

20 - GODVERDOMME

by Marie Schelkens 2017

zine about cursing. 'Godverdomme' means 'God damn it'

It contains some articles and stories about cursing, swear words in different languages, little games and puzzles and a poster at the end

booklet is completely transparant so the text is not readable and you would be swearing because of it

there is an orange paper that you can put behind every page, if you would want to read it

21 - WARSZAWA - STUTTGART ZINE

by Kamila Staniszewska

collaborative zine created during 3-days workshop between Klasse Thomas and Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw

22 - A NEW ZINE ABOUT RICARD

by Bobby Bao 2020

23 - BOYS ZINE

by Kris Andrew Small 2020

24 - meiauns zine

by Pianofuzz Design Studio 2015

collaborative zine with the professionals who were part of the team

proposal of this work was to make a relation of the space / individual / studio, seeking to answer the question of the exchange between the human (singular) and the studio (collective)

25 - Ruins.

by Once Were Pop 2018

describes an open-minded surreal walk between temples,

columns and all the relics of the Roman Empire

collection of 10 pieces 

digitally printed with an old HP 5200 Laserjet

26 - Bauhaus Zine

by Ellie Liew 2019

a zine dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus

27 - American Dream

by Harry Diaz 2014

self published zine that dives into my perception of what it is to pursue the American Dream

24 pages, printed on a risograph with purple soy based ink

28 - Undressing

by Tina Siuda

using silkscreen to print all the elements, including the color of the cover

there are only 30 copies

29 - Nightnight

by Hyunjung Huh 2018

a one page zine

30 - Fears & Loathing

by Ren 2015

5 color Risograph zine printed by Victory Press

explores personal fears and anxieties

31 - Filth.

by Erin Rimmer 2015

about sexual objectification of women in media

32 - Y2K Survival Guide

by Jackson Green 1999

a guide to help people navigate the chaos that was surely to befall us as soon as January 1, 2000

made entirely by hand, from scraps of articles relating to Japanese reactor meltdowns, NASA documents, as well as period-correct tabloid newspapers

33 - chaos vs order

by Dennis Zorn and Jonas Mollenbeck 2016

apart of the 3h zine project - creating a zine in just 3 hours

looking at a new way of designing without restriction

34 - Lithography Zine

by Karolina Krol 2017

35 - RetroGAY

Pedro Nekoi 2019

36 - RedBlue

by Boynova Maria 2019

37 - Deconstruction in history of art as a tool.

by Vasilisa Aristarkhova 2019

contains typographical experiments' catalogue, quotes about deconstruction and self-reflection on the topic

38 - Boat Man

by Aysha Jumari 2019

illustrated fictional narrative, told in an 8-page zine, about the fate of a bumboat operator from the sleepy, coastal district of Changi in Singapore

39 - Shifting Self & Self Shifters

by Owi Liunic 2019

40 - Dog Zine

by Susannah Garden and WES 2018

A5, 26 page zine printed on a risograph with 2 colors

donated 20% to local dog shelters

41 - Disorder Zine

by Daniela Efe 2019

42 - Paper Empty

by rengally 2019

43 - Photo Zine 01

by Nabila Paramita 2019

44 - Snakeskin Zine

by Eugenio Cara 2019

45 - Rally 2U

by Annu Kilpelainen 2019

published by Tan&Loose

24 pages, 4 color risograph

46 - el futuro 

by Sartorio Pedro 2019

20 page fanzine printed on inkjet

47 - Part Shoes

by Hannah Ferguson 2020

a short fold out zine

printed on letterpress

48 - Question Zine

by Agata Chudzik 2020

49 - Sun Valley

by Justin Uy 2020

inspired by Japanese Street Fashion

50 - Wired

by Tasha Campbell 2014

hand stitched typography zine on how technology effects society

[difeminawoc]

When I think about the violence experienced by South Asian American lesbian and bisexual women, the most common and pervasive violence, the one underling all the other forms of violence, is also the least easily named and identified… This enigmatic violence against queer South Asian women that I speak of is the silencing and erasing of our existence, so effective that it makes us inflict further violence upon ourselves by silencing and erasing ourselves from our communities of origin. … I grew up in a tight-knit Bengali community, proud of my culture and not at all understanding those of my peers who seemed to want so much to “act white” or “just be American.” After relocating to another part of the country to further my education soon after coming out, I very much wanted to connect to the local Bengali community—to once again be part of a community in which I could be myself, speak my language, and celebrate my culture. But in order to be comfortable expressing one part of myself, culturally and ethnically, it became clear that I would have to hide another pat of myself—my sexual orientation—in order to become an accepted member of the community. I found myself not returning calls and unconsciously trying not to grow too close to (presumably) straight Bengalis that I met. I gradually stopped attending Bengali cultural events, as one of the first questions I was always asked is whether I was married. I do not even know how to answer that question. Technically, the answer is “no,” since my legal status, according to the state, is single. Nonetheless, that answer leaves me uneasy, making me feel I am lying. I share my life with a partner, and we do everything that I grew up learning that married people do—taking care of our home and each other, maintaining social and familial relationships in addition to our careers. But answering this question truthfully holds many dangers—will the person think I have inappropriately shared too much information (although he or she is the one who asked)? Will the person walk away and not want to interact with me any further? Do I want to subject myself to such immediate judgment when I am just trying to a part of my community? …As LGBT people, we have to decide on a daily basis whether to come out. Mainstream Bengali circles are the only communities within which I have chosen repeatedly to not come out. As a result, I have become less and less involved with my community over the years. It takes too much energy to erase myself continually. How can I be part of a community that cannot acknowledge my relationship with my partner, the family that I have formed? It is not just my sexuality that I speak of. Being queer is not just about whom we sleep with. It is about the structure of our families and our lives, including who we share our lives with, come home to, cook with, eat with, and do laundry with. It concerns who we socialize with; where our children come from; what type of art or activism we participate in; what films we like; what actors or actresses we follow; what causes we support; what events we go to; what fashions we subscribe to; what books we read; what politicians we vote for; what kind of work we engage in; and the nature of our relationships with our families of origin. The question “Why do you have to flaunt it?” is shockingly common. In a community in which it is assumed that any woman over thirty is either married or defective and where people feel free to ask personal questions about one’s life (e.g., one’s marital status, profession, income, parents’ professions and income, etc.), one has to try very hard—even lie—in order to not “flaunt it.” What I experience as many straight people’s perceptions of flaunting it is any discussions in which a queer person’s sexual orientation does not remain completely hidden. The judgments and exclusions that my family members and I would face with honest responses to those questions are often devastating. It is frequently the family member that impose the invisibility in the first place, due to their own fears of marginalization. I do not consider myself closeted, since I am out in every other space I inhabit. But there are so many in our community who are closeted, who see no other option to but to keep a huge part of themselves hidden. I cannot believe closeting as a survival strategy is a passive choice, as being lesbian or bisexual informs every ordinary aspect of our lives. The closet is multidimensional, and many of us feel compelled to hide ourselves within the context of our families, workplaces, ethnic or religious communities, friends, public lives, and sometimes even from ourselves; that is, having romantic and/or sexual relationships with other women without acknowledging one’s own desires. There are of course, valid reasons for staying in the closet. The emotional, financial, and/or physical violence that lesbian and bisexual women and possibly those we care about face is very real. What emerges (or sometimes what we only fear may emerge) when we are seen and heard is total rejection, disconnection, and often uncontrolled violence and rage. The closet provides at least some protection from the homophobia and misogyny we must face in a world that oppresses women for loving contrary to what is mandated and for daring to manifest our true selves.

“The Violence That Dares Not Speak Its Name: Invisibility in the Lives of Lesbian and Bisexual South Asian American Women” by Prajna Paramita Choudhury in Body Evidence: Intimate Violence Against South Asian Women in America