At first the ideas of Freedom and Restraint seem at odds with each other. If however, we exist without restraint we are in fact not free. Rather, we are tethered by desire. Restraint provides boundries that through whatever enforcing process, enable us to be free.
It is when restraint fails that we find ourselves without freedom. Think of a bad habit that enslaves you; perhaps food, cigarettes, or envy and the consequences of not imposing some restraint upon the behavior. Freedom is not guilt. Freedom is not self-loathing or destruction.
When restraint is intact and boundries exist, then can there be freedom. With firmness of right mind, speech and action there is a liberation of spirit. When there is no enslavement of self to any thing, then one is free.
October 18, 2008
October 11, 2008
And now, a few words from the Dalai Lama...
Buddhism is more than a religion. It is a science of the mind.
- Dalai Lama
- Dalai Lama
October 06, 2008
Unplugged
Cresting waves crash silent still
Damage done, but naught to feel
Numbness swirls against the dream
Unplug the energy and quell the scream
LGR
Damage done, but naught to feel
Numbness swirls against the dream
Unplug the energy and quell the scream
LGR
October 05, 2008
October 04, 2008
Harmony In Distress
The hungry ghost in each of us howls for recognition and craves what it cannot have and needs more than it has. Without mindfulness, we are lured and seduced by fantasies, promises, and the future. Believing the release from suffering is just a breath away, is the ectoplasmic energy that feeds the starving phantom.
The future is not real, and does not exist. It is not a physical place that we travel through time and space to reach. Now is all that exists. Craving what I do not have does not make now better - it nullifies it. How can I be mindful of now, if my thoughts keep me spinning in circles somewhere in a future that does not exist?
The struggle to be patient with now is an isometric mental exercise. The constant battle of thoughts force their energies against each other in the demilitarized zone within me (where no thing rules). While there is awareness that now is all there is, I can't help but desire something more or better. Believing that I would be more peaceful without desires, it seems absurd to continue to want.
The only solution is to find harmony in now, whatever that my entail. If desire stirs within, recognize it as desire and let it be part of now. Monitor closely the feelings that arise and fall within each moment and accept them. The ability to mindfully separate what is now from what is not is a path to harmony in distress.
LGR
Grabbing Air
I see so vividly the ghost of you
and swear sometimes you're there
I extend my heart to hold you close
But alas, I am grabbing air.
and swear sometimes you're there
I extend my heart to hold you close
But alas, I am grabbing air.
October 02, 2008
Buddha Nature
Koan: Everything has Buddha nature. But Buddha nature is originally empty. So how can everything have Buddha nature?
My interpretation: Everything is nothing, and all is empty. While it may at first observation seem a nihilistic approach, I believe it otherwise. No thing exists independently, as there is a recipe for every thing. A table does not exist, rather it is pieces of wood arranged in a specific pattern which we call a table. The wood does not exist, rather it is pieces of tree that we call wood. A tree does not exist, as it is the growth that results from a seed which we call a tree. A seed does not exist, it is the progeny of another tree which we label a seed. In this way, nothing exists and is empty of its own inherent nature.
My interpretation: Everything is nothing, and all is empty. While it may at first observation seem a nihilistic approach, I believe it otherwise. No thing exists independently, as there is a recipe for every thing. A table does not exist, rather it is pieces of wood arranged in a specific pattern which we call a table. The wood does not exist, rather it is pieces of tree that we call wood. A tree does not exist, as it is the growth that results from a seed which we call a tree. A seed does not exist, it is the progeny of another tree which we label a seed. In this way, nothing exists and is empty of its own inherent nature.
Knowing Nothing
I'm not sure how people spend their life learning, and only rarely realize they know nothing. Certainly we think, but that is not the same thing as knowing. Knowing implies an absolute and infallible belief in what is real and certain. I liken knowing with believing; they are both personal expressions and are not based in reality at all.
October 01, 2008
Ballet In The Barn
Dance with passion among the hay and seed
Snapping fingers 'til the blisters bleed
Music-less beat will fevers feed
Whirling hastened to slake the need
Shaking out the human breed
Imprisoned passions at long last freed
Tapping toes in horses' grain
To a silent verse and no refrain
Rattling drums inside my brain
Swirl and dip to enjoy the pain
Hands raised to swear the sane
Only me and the dance remain
Heavens witness to solo night
Dancing in the barn's low light
Eyes are clenched low and tight
Arms extended as if in flight
Releasing self with all my might
Becoming one against my plight
Melt into the world we are
A dancing ocean or shining star
One so close and one afar
Nothing separate to shun or bar
We coalesce and simply are
Snapping fingers 'til the blisters bleed
Music-less beat will fevers feed
Whirling hastened to slake the need
Shaking out the human breed
Imprisoned passions at long last freed
Tapping toes in horses' grain
To a silent verse and no refrain
Rattling drums inside my brain
Swirl and dip to enjoy the pain
Hands raised to swear the sane
Only me and the dance remain
Heavens witness to solo night
Dancing in the barn's low light
Eyes are clenched low and tight
Arms extended as if in flight
Releasing self with all my might
Becoming one against my plight
Melt into the world we are
A dancing ocean or shining star
One so close and one afar
Nothing separate to shun or bar
We coalesce and simply are
The Posse
I am blessed each day to work with an incredible group of women (I'll address the fellas on another day). These are incredibly strong and intelligent women who have a passion for their chosen professions and pour themselves into making a difference - every day.
I don't have a sister, but I am a member of one helluva posse. Here's to the girls~
I don't have a sister, but I am a member of one helluva posse. Here's to the girls~
September 30, 2008
Singing Lizard Man
One of the happiest sounds in the world to me, is my darling Kevin singing funny little songs to our reptiles. Right now he's making up words to a song about feeding Savanna Monitors. How can I write with that happening in the background? LOL
September 29, 2008
Tao Te Ching - Translation
"Doing the right thing" is like water.
It's good for all living things,and flows without thinking about where it's going...just like Tao.
Keep your feet on the ground.
Remember what's important.
Be there when people need you.
Say what you mean.
Be prepared for anything.
Do whatever you can, whenever it needs doing.
If you don't compare yourself to others,nobody can compare to you.
Translation by Ron HoganProgramming by Simon Hudson
It's good for all living things,and flows without thinking about where it's going...just like Tao.
Keep your feet on the ground.
Remember what's important.
Be there when people need you.
Say what you mean.
Be prepared for anything.
Do whatever you can, whenever it needs doing.
If you don't compare yourself to others,nobody can compare to you.
Translation by Ron HoganProgramming by Simon Hudson
Thinking About Big Farts and Other Stinky Prospects
In a recent post on the Hardcore Zen blog site, writer Brad W. was talking about how a particular "zen master" (master of what, I'm not sure) is charging folks 50K to sit in his presence for a shot at enlightenment and to bask in his knowingness. Gross, right?
This guy Ginpo Roshi is doing what countless others throughout the history of humankind have done: profit from the fear and ignorance of others. Every religion, government, school of thought, political movement (the list goes on) has capitalized on the inherent suffering in the world. Entire economies and societal frameworks are built and maintained in this way. It is apparently what makes the "world go 'round".
I believe we are all at risk every moment of being promised a relief from suffering, for a price. The costs cannot be calculated, as they are intangible. Fifty thousand dollars is a nice plump pile of bread, but it doesn't compare with the cost of the delusion for which one pays. How many unenlightened folks will walk blissfully from Ginpo Roshi's retreat thinking they are a giant step ahead of everyone else in the "lack of suffering" department..until they get home and see that life is still life and suffering is still going to happen.
I have to digress for a moment to relate an annual event for me during my childhood, from the ages of about 7 to 16. Each summer, I would attend Falls Creek Southern Baptist Church Camp for a week. Speaking of hardcore, this was INTENSE indoctrination: there was very literally a minimum of 4 full-fledged sermons a day. Because of the hours and busy schedule, we were always exhausted and dropping like flies into the abyss of repentance. By the end of the week, I would be ready to sign my life away as a missionary to some hellish corner of the earth. Invariably, I would pack up my satanic and worldly possessions when I returned home so I would not be tempted by their wicked influence. Did you notice that I said "pack up" and not throw away or burn? LOL Within a week or two of being home, the exhaustion and brainwashing would melt away and life would gradually come to include the things I decidedly enjoyed (Led Zeppelin and Styx albums, watching television, and talking to my non-Christian friends).
My point (yes, I think I have one) is that there is no price for enlightenment. The recipe for baking a loaf of peace has graciously been provided for no fee. Opening our eyes to the world and taking a stab at understanding and seeing cannot be done on our behalf - no matter how much we pay or what we sacrifice. Ginpo Roshi probably does have big farts, most people do. I just can't imagine why anyone would think they're worth paying 50 grand to sniff.
This guy Ginpo Roshi is doing what countless others throughout the history of humankind have done: profit from the fear and ignorance of others. Every religion, government, school of thought, political movement (the list goes on) has capitalized on the inherent suffering in the world. Entire economies and societal frameworks are built and maintained in this way. It is apparently what makes the "world go 'round".
I believe we are all at risk every moment of being promised a relief from suffering, for a price. The costs cannot be calculated, as they are intangible. Fifty thousand dollars is a nice plump pile of bread, but it doesn't compare with the cost of the delusion for which one pays. How many unenlightened folks will walk blissfully from Ginpo Roshi's retreat thinking they are a giant step ahead of everyone else in the "lack of suffering" department..until they get home and see that life is still life and suffering is still going to happen.
I have to digress for a moment to relate an annual event for me during my childhood, from the ages of about 7 to 16. Each summer, I would attend Falls Creek Southern Baptist Church Camp for a week. Speaking of hardcore, this was INTENSE indoctrination: there was very literally a minimum of 4 full-fledged sermons a day. Because of the hours and busy schedule, we were always exhausted and dropping like flies into the abyss of repentance. By the end of the week, I would be ready to sign my life away as a missionary to some hellish corner of the earth. Invariably, I would pack up my satanic and worldly possessions when I returned home so I would not be tempted by their wicked influence. Did you notice that I said "pack up" and not throw away or burn? LOL Within a week or two of being home, the exhaustion and brainwashing would melt away and life would gradually come to include the things I decidedly enjoyed (Led Zeppelin and Styx albums, watching television, and talking to my non-Christian friends).
My point (yes, I think I have one) is that there is no price for enlightenment. The recipe for baking a loaf of peace has graciously been provided for no fee. Opening our eyes to the world and taking a stab at understanding and seeing cannot be done on our behalf - no matter how much we pay or what we sacrifice. Ginpo Roshi probably does have big farts, most people do. I just can't imagine why anyone would think they're worth paying 50 grand to sniff.
September 28, 2008
Harbingers of Autumn
So in this moment there is the opportunity to experience a change. The air is crisper in the morning and the monsoonal humidity slowly fades from memory. The sky darkens to a purplish glow earlier in the evening and the mating call of spade foot toads is silent once again. We are rejuvenated from the hot summer and the exhausted desert-scape sighs in relief.
September 23, 2008
Uniformity & Conformity
How contorted we can become when we strive to be like someone else. If we pause even for a moment to reflect, it is evident that no one exists as a stand alone model for anything. We are ultimately all a part of the same fabric, along with all else that is.
If I lay a pattern on a piece of cloth and cut two identical pieces, they are the same and yet different. They are two, but also one. Neither is dependent on the other to exist, but came from the same whole.
In this same way, we are all separate but united; different, but uniform. Beyond the oneness of us all, it is more desirable to have our subtle (if not superficial) differences to enhance the experience of life.
Lesa
If I lay a pattern on a piece of cloth and cut two identical pieces, they are the same and yet different. They are two, but also one. Neither is dependent on the other to exist, but came from the same whole.
In this same way, we are all separate but united; different, but uniform. Beyond the oneness of us all, it is more desirable to have our subtle (if not superficial) differences to enhance the experience of life.
Lesa
September 21, 2008
September 20, 2008
A start, but not a beginning
This seems like a good place to start, but is certainly not the beginning. The circumstances that have lead to this point are an integral part of this project in expression. Over the past few years i have sought to scratch away some of the caked on layers of perceptions and experiences to glimpse what is real. Every moment reveals something new to me - if i am open to receive it.
May we all be free from suffering and know that we know nothing.
May we all be free from suffering and know that we know nothing.
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