Blog Blog Woof Woof

I believe this is my new mantra. OK, I know its basically the eightfold path but this makes that seem so real. Besides, its a bit long for a mantra. In this present moment I care that my thinking be the right kind of thinking, thinking that reflects understanding and compassion. This kind of thinking can nourish and transform me, bringing joy and happiness to me and people around me. In this very moment, I care that my speech be the kind of speech that communicates understanding and compassion, the kind of speech that can restore communication and offer confidence and reconciliation. At this very moment, I care about my physical action. My physical action should be able to translate my understanding and my compassion. If I'm sure that my thinking, speech and physical action are in line with understanding and compassion, I don't have to worry anymore about the future, and I save a lot of energy. I wasnt to invest one hundred percent of myself in this very moment. And this is pos...

This is a great first step. Don't cling to anything and don't reject anything. Let come what comes, and accomodate yourself to that, whatever it is. If good mental images arise, that is fine. If bad mental images arise, that is fine, too. Look on all of it as equal, and make yourself comfortable with whatever happens. Don't fight with what you experience, just observe it all mindfully. Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, "Mindfulness in Plain English"

Cerebral & personal yet global. If we can reach the understanding of what we actually are, there is no better remedy for eliminating all suffering. This is the heart of all spiritual practices. Kalu Rinpoche, " Luminous Mind "

This I truly believe. An act of meditation is actually an act of faith--of faith in your spirit, in your own potential. Faith is the basis of meditation. Not of faith in something outside you--a metaphysical buddha, an unattainable ideal, or someone else's words. The faith is in yourself, in your own "buddha-nature." You too can be a buddha, an awakened being that lives and responds in a wise, creative, and compassionate way. Martine Batchelor, " Meditation for Life "

A little Sat morning Zen. Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free; Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate. Chuang Tsu

Is it really so hard to be nice? Apparently for some, especially some of my coworkers it is. I wish they would learn from this. Phenomena are preceded by the heart ruled by the heart, made of the heart. If you speak or act with a calm, bright heart, then happiness follows you, like a shadow that never leaves. Dhammapada, 1, translated by Thanissaro Bhikku.

Can you imagine? Wars arise from a failure to understand one another's humanness. Instead of summit meetings, why not have families meet for a picnic and get to know each other while the children play together? His Holiness the Dalai Lama I would love to see George Bush in a park with Kim Jong Il , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , Pervez Musharraf , Hu Jintao , Nancy Pelosi , etc, etc at some picnic.

I struggle but I know some people who really suffer and these are words they would do well to work to understand. My suffering is usually manidested in procrastination but sometimes depression. I sometimes feel that there are too many important decisions to be made and I can't to it. Other times I feel like there are too many important decisions to be made and I shouldn't be the one to make them. I have some coworkers and family members who have far more severe issues and they blame everybody else for the problems they have. If my mother had done this, if my father had been this, if my boss didn't do this. I so wish some of these people would get the clue that they have something to do with it. Especially when they find themselves in similar situations time and time again. Happiness and suffering come from your own mind, not from outside. Your own mind is the cause of happiness; your own mind is the cause of suffering. To obtain happiness and pacify suffering, you have to ...

I've been kinda busy and haven't posted anything recently. What a great one to restart with. It's sort the same as the Serenity Prayer...work to control the things you can, not worry about the things you can't and learn the difference between the two. We can't control anybody but ourselves and sometimes that seems impossible. Better to conquer yourself than others. When you've trained yourself, living in constant self-control, neither a deva nor gandhabba, nor a Mara banded with Brahmas, could turn that triumph back into defeat. Dhammapada, 8, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

Sounds a lot like "do unto others as you would have them do unto you", don't you think? Whatever attitudes we habitually use toward ourselves, we will use on others, and whatever attitudes we habitually use toward others, we will use on ourselves. The situation is comparable to our serving food to ourselves and to other people from the same bowl. Everyone ends up eating the same thing--we must examine carefully what we are dishing out. Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, " Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness "

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 "

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

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

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.

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

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.