In a nation deeply divided, this crudely altered sign conveys the immaturity, vitriol, and power-grabbing that runs rampant all across the political spectrum. I snapped this photo about a mile from my house.
Category: Random Thoughts
Realization Realizes Realization Despite the Smoky Haze
Today the smoke from the Western U.S. fires reached Ohio. The smoke is too high to permeate the air, but the sky has a smoky haze, as you can see in this comparison photo. It got me thinking about how a smoky haze is a metaphor for how so many of us view the world.… Continue reading Realization Realizes Realization Despite the Smoky Haze
Delusions and Life Purposes and Freedom
In the book Zen Chants by Kazuaki Tanahashi, he shared Joan Halifax's version of the Four Great Vows (or Bodhisattva Vows). I've come across these before, having chanted them at a local sangha, but this particular version resonated with me more than most. Creations are numberless; I vow to free them.Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow… Continue reading Delusions and Life Purposes and Freedom
Is Part of Me Now a Part of You?
I don't know if reincarnation happens and what form it might take. There are a number of ways people interpret what reincarnation looks like, mainly depending on whether or not a person believes in a literal soul as a discrete entity. I'm most drawn to the idea that energy is the building block that coalesces under certain conditions to become matter.
Accepting Reality as a Starting Point for Openness
Lately, I've been seeing an uptick in memes or comments on social media to the effect of "it shouldn't be this way" or "this is the way it should be," depending on the subject and one's POV. This kind of thinking leads to a lot of dissatisfaction and stress because you can't change how things… Continue reading Accepting Reality as a Starting Point for Openness
I Am (Not) a Flower in the Sky
I've been thinking a lot about my "career," whatever that even is anymore. We are so defined by our jobs. "What do you do?" is an early small talk question, but it's just one more box we put ourselves in to, like where you live, what your name is, how many followers you have on… Continue reading I Am (Not) a Flower in the Sky
Maybe This Is a Problem. Maybe It Isn’t.
Lately, I've been feeling sad a lot. It's not an overwhelming depression feeling. It's just grief. A sense of loss. No one has died, but things change a lot. Meditation and mindfulness practices make me more acutely aware of this. My study of Dharma tells me that this grief is a sign of attachment. It's… Continue reading Maybe This Is a Problem. Maybe It Isn’t.
Disappointment with Disappointment
Lately, I keep experiencing disappointment. Or, rather, I am paying attention to the fact that I experience disappointment. I think experiencing it is an ongoing thing for all of us. But it feels much better, safer, to keep on rolling along, letting distractions pull us away from the pain of disappointment. Yet, the pain is… Continue reading Disappointment with Disappointment
Self-Reliance; No-Self–Reliance
Sometimes I get lost in "me." My financial difficulties, my mental problems, my physical pain and limitations. All I see are the obstacles that heighten my hardship. I become obsessed with all the systems that make my life more challenging and how all those systems need to change or just plain suck. I get lost… Continue reading Self-Reliance; No-Self–Reliance
Trust, Contracts, ADR, and True Love
On this past Sunday and Monday, I had three lessons about trust. It showed me some of the ways that trust is so important and also how much it can lack within our society and our relationships. Act 1: Contracts On Monday afternoon I took a class about real estate contract writing for a new… Continue reading Trust, Contracts, ADR, and True Love
Suicidal Tulip 