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Take that you close-minded frakin' fraks! OK, that's not the nicest thing to say but everybody knows what I mean. This applies to most of us in some way but it really goes to the heart of the matter of the people who are anti Harry Potter b/c it contains magic. Some people live closely guarded lives, fearful of encountering someone or something that might shatter their insecure spiritual foundation. This attitude, however, is not the fault of religion but of their own limited understanding. True Dharma leads in exactly the opposite direction. It enables one to integrate all the many diverse experiences of life into a meaningful and coherent whole, thereby banishing fear and insecurity completely. Lama Thubten Yeshe, " Wisdom Energy "

The Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell I first saw Joseph Campbell on PBS replay of “The Power of Myth”. I was amazed and enthralled by what he said. I felt someone was finally explaining the way I looked at religion and spirituality. Reading this is my first foray into his writing. It’s pretty academic and very heavily annotated, some footnotes are longer than the text on the page. He explores “the hero”; what is the process individuals go through to become a hero? He uses examples from all over the globe. All religions, all traditional societies and cultures and continents are explored to present a wonderfully comprehensive picture of the hero. Joseph Campbell shows us that we are all more alike than not, our heros share the same qualities, our religions are used to teach us and guide us to the same ends. It’s quite heartening. See more about The Hero With a Thousand Faces

Again with the high road stuff. We should not seek revenge on those who have committed crimes against us, or reply to their crimes with other crimes. We should reflect that by the law of karma, they are in danger of lowly and miserable lives to come, and that our duty to them, as to every being, is to help them to rise towards Nirvana, rather than let them sink to lower levels of rebirth. His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Compassion is the best healer. Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Ultimate Healing This is my new mantra. Although I have work to do on my ability for compassion I know others who really have some real issues with it. If I could just convince them that it isn't the "high road", it is the only road; and it is as much about showing compassion for yourself than others. On the way to work this morning I was reading more of Joseph Campbell's Hero with A Thousand Faces and it dawned on me that Virgos, at least as far as I see myself as a virgo, are naturally inclined towards this mentality. We are supposed to be objective and sympathetic which is the way I see things. People have misinterpreted my objectivity as negativity; that I am taking the other side but that's not it. I have to distance myself from the arguement to sort things out in my head and then I can look at both sides in a relatively even manner. I guess its hard for people to believe that you can be objective. That was

Preach on brother. And better than a hundred years lived apathetic & unenergetic, is one day lived energetic & firm. -Dhammapada, 8, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

Words to live by. These are the posts I post for specific people and I know those specific people will never see the posts. Focus, not on the rudenesses of others, not on what they've done or left undone, but on what you have & haven't done yourself. Dhammapada, 4, translation by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

Its not easy but I try this everyday. “Live in joy, In love, Even among those who hate. Live in joy, In health, Even among the afflicted. Live in joy, In peace, Even among the troubled. Look within. Be still. Free from fear and attachment, Know the sweet joy of the way.” from the Dhammapada

I started this post last summer. I forgot about it but now I have it back. Paste created lots of controversy with this list of 100 living songwriters but I figured it was a good excuse to list some of mine. These are all I can think of off the top of my head. This list is songwriters in the sense of writing words with music. Some of them are more consistent than others but its art who can truely create the same level of consistency all the time? In no particular order: Bruce Hornsby Bruce Cockburn Alejandro Escovedo Neil Young Bob Dylan Talib Kweli Paul Thorn Steve Earle Kim Richey Stevie Wonder William Bell Smokey Robinson Isaac Hayes David Porter Ben Harper David Olney Lucinda Williams Booker T Jones Steve Cropper Warren Haynes Common

Man, do I know some folks who need to memorize this, 'specially that part about seeing danger where there is none. We all anticipate how things sometimes. How things are gonna be and many times we, relying on our own hangups, we create environments and situations that don't need to be the way they are. Ashamed of what's not shameful, not ashamed of what is, beings adopting wrong views go to a bad destination. Seeing danger where there is none, and no danger where there is, beings adopting wrong views, go to a bad destination. Dhammapada, 22, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Yesterday I turned 40 years old. I took the day off from work, did some laundry, spent way too much money at Brooks Brothers , and went to the park with Johnders. I haven't really talked about him, have I? I will. Later. Last night we planned a little dinner party at one of my all time favorite Nashville spots, Bosco's . It is home of the best beer in the state, maybe the country. I hadn't been in a long time and I didn't think it was a real possiblity b/c it tended to be pretty smokey. I don't do smokey as well as I used to and Tara doesn't do smokey at all. Was I pleased to find out that they are non-smoking? You're damn skippy! Come 1 Oct all restaurants will be non-smoking but some, like Bosco's jumped the deadline and U thank them for it. I gave Tara a list of people to invite. Many were out-of-towners who I just wanted to let know something was going on, didn't really expect to see any. Lo and behold two came in specifically for the party. One

Buddhism. Keeping it real. Karma is not something complicated or philosophical. Karma means watching your body, watching your mouth, and watching your mind. Trying to keep these three doors as pure as possible is the practice of karma. Lama Thubten Yeshe, " The Bliss of Inner Fire " ---------------- Ear Candy of the Moment: DuOud & Abdulatif Yagoub - Wa Rariah via FoxyTunes

It sounds so easy. Abandon anger, Be done with conceit, Get beyond every fetter. When for name & form You have no attachment --have nothing at all-- no sufferings, no stresses, invade. Dhammapada 17, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

The past few days I have gone through our public access computer room once or twice a day and a vast majority of the users are on myspace.com . Are they looking for jobs or researching Nashville ? If that includes "Power Ass" shaking her stuff then yes I guess they are but somehow I doubt it. I obviously use the internet differently than most. I read blogs and yes, I sometimes look at celebrity wardrobe malfunctions ...if you know what I mean but Jesus H. Christ ! You are in the library and the only way you can figure out how to use it is trolling myspace? Not only that but not all terminals are hidden from the aisles so if you are walking by, like I have been, you see all of this crap. I have a myspace page - don't really use it but I have one. I have many friends who have one too but there are so many other ways to waste time on the internet. I don't know what can be done other than myspace setting tighter restrictions . I'm sure from our POV it's a 1st

Have you ever noticed that the people who say this most are the people most difficult to deal with? I see it everyday. Someone who complains a lot or is unorganized to the point of frustration, both theirs and yours, is the person who is quick on the draw with the "Have a blessed day" exit.

A couple of weeks ago I woke up with a case of sciatica. I didn't know what it was at the time I just knew it hurt. I was coming down the stairs and my knee buckled in one of the worst bursts of pain I have ever felt. I struggled through the next week or so trying stretches and whatnot without much change. Then I went to Bonnie, my mother-in-law, who happens to be a Healing Touch practioner and instructor. She worked on me two days in a row and I scheduled an appointment for a massage a couple of days after that. I had begun to feel better but after the massage I really started to feel better and eventhough I'm not 100% yet I felt good enough to go to yoga yesterday. Not really thinking about it this morning when the phone rang and it was the massage therapist calling to see how I was doing. That, my friends, is customer service. I went to her on the suggestion of Tara, she did a good job, she was filled with info and suggestions about how to get and stay healthy. As is quite o

Tara and I haven't picked a specific day but we are trying to plant a tree each year. Earlier this year we actually planted 3. They had a rough summer but I think they will be fine. On a certain day, month and year one should observe the ceremony of tree-planting. Thus, one fulfils one’s responsibilities, serves one’s fellow-beings which not only brings happiness but benefits all. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, October 1993

Props to the Sewanee Tigers (with new coach Robert Black ) and Appalachian State. Sewanee, who usually doesn't field great teams won it's first game of the season as well as getting the SCAC player of the week . I have high hopes! Now, Appalachian State . What more can you say ?? We raced them when I was on the canoe team and for God's sake they are from the hills of NC . It was a great day for small colleges.

Oh, how I wish people, including myself, worked on this more. Greater in battle than the man who would conquer a thousand-thousand men, is he who would conquer just one-- himself. Dhammapada, 8, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.